Staff Microcontroller Firmware Developer

About us 

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry. 

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone. 

Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation. 

Job Summary 

We are seeking a Staff Microcontroller Firmware Developer with strong experience in embedded firmware development to design and implement firmware for microcontroller-based management systems across Graphcore’s AI server and rack-scale platforms. 

This role focuses on developing Zephyr RTOS-based firmware and low-level device drivers for real-time embedded systems supporting hyperscale data center infrastructure. 

The Team 

Graphcore is a globally recognised leader in Artificial Intelligence computing systems. The company designs advanced semiconductors and data centre hardware that provide the specialised processing power needed to drive AI innovation, while delivering the efficiency required to support its broader adoption.    

The Firmware Engineering team develops embedded software infrastructure used to manage and monitor Graphcore’s AI compute platforms. 

The team works closely with hardware engineering, system architecture, validation, and platform software teams to implement firmware supporting sensors, power subsystems, connectivity interfaces, and management features across server and rack-level systems. 

Responsibilities and Duties 

• Architect, design, develop, and deploy Zephyr RTOS-based firmware for server and rack management platforms. 

• Develop device drivers and middleware layers for sensors, connectivity interfaces, storage devices, and peripherals. 

• Implement firmware interfaces supporting telemetry, power management, thermal monitoring, and remote manageability. 

• Perform board configuration using device tree (DTS), Kconfig, and embedded build systems. 

• Support board bring-up and hardware validation in collaboration with hardware teams and ODM partners. 

• Implement secure boot, firmware update mechanisms (MCUboot, DFU), and OTA update capabilities. 

• Develop automated unit tests, integration tests, and hardware-in-the-loop testing frameworks. 

• Integrate firmware development workflows into CI/CD pipelines with automated builds and regression testing. 

• Debug firmware and hardware interactions using JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, and tracing tools. 

Candidate Profile 

Essential 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline. 

• 7+ years of firmware development experience including embedded systems programming. 

• Hands-on experience with Zephyr RTOS including device tree, Kconfig, and driver development. 

• Experience with ARM Cortex-M or similar microcontroller architectures. 

• Strong knowledge of embedded interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, PWM, GPIO, interrupts, and DMA. 

• Experience using Git-based development workflows and CI/CD pipelines. 

• Strong debugging skills using tools such as logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD, and GDB. 

Desirable 

• Experience contributing to open-source RTOS projects such as Zephyr. 

• Experience with networking stacks supported by embedded RTOS platforms. 

• Knowledge of secure firmware architectures and embedded cryptography. 

• Experience implementing MCUboot, OTA firmware pipelines, or secure provisioning flows. 

• Proficiency with Python for automation, tooling, or test frameworks. 
  

Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers a competitive benefits package. We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we’re committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.