Silicon Product Engineering Lead

Methodfi; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - GBP 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A tech startup specializing in AI seeks a hands-on technical leader to oversee product engineering from tapeout to production and manage the Bristol validation lab. Responsibilities include leading test engineers, defining production test architecture, and ensuring chip qualification. Candidates should have significant experience in semiconductor test development, lab management skills, and strong communication abilities. This position offers an attractive compensation package within a diverse and innovative team environment.

Benefits

Attractive compensation package

Pension plan

Extensive employee insurances

Option to get company shares

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience in semiconductor test development and silicon characterization.
• Strong understanding of ATE platforms and test program optimization.
• Deep knowledge of reliability physics and qualification of complex SoCs.
• Experience with silicon debug and failure analysis tools.
• Practical lab management experience including calibration, equipment management, and safety.
• Solid understanding of test and manufacturing economics.

Responsibilities

• Own product engineering from tapeout to production.
• Lead test engineers and validation engineers.
• Manage lab operations: equipment and calibration.
• Define production test architecture.
• Oversee validation work including power sequencing and thermal validation.

Skills

Semiconductor test development

Silicon characterization

ATE platforms

Reliability physics

Lab management

Failure analysis tools

Test and manufacturing economics

Team building and mentoring

Technical communication

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analysers

Thermal tools

Job description

About Us

Axelera AI is not your regular deep-tech startup. We are creating the next-generation AI platform to support anyone who wants to help advancing humanity and improve the world around us.

In just four years, we have raised a total of $120 million and have built a world-class team of 220+ employees (including 49+ PhDs with more than 40,000 citations), both remotely from 17 different countries and with offices in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

We have also launched our Metis™ AI Platform, which achieves a 3-5x increase in efficiency and performance, and have visibility into a strong business pipeline exceeding $100 million.

Our unwavering commitment to innovation has firmly established us as a global industry pioneer.

Are you up for the challenge?

Position Overview

We’re looking for a hands-on technical leader to own product engineering from tapeout to production and day-to-day operation of our Bristol validation lab.

You’ll be responsible for the full journey of our AI accelerator silicon—from first silicon bring-up, characterization, qualification, and ATE development through NPI and OSAT handoff—while leading the team and infrastructure that make this possible. This is a deeply practical role, combining test development, silicon debug, and lab leadership with external partner management.

You’ll lead test engineers, validation engineers, and lab technicians, ensuring our silicon meets datacentre and automotive quality standards and that our lab operates efficiently as we scale to multiple concurrent chip programs.

Key responsibilities

• Product Engineering & Test (Tapeout → Production)
• Own ATE strategy and test program development from early silicon through high-volume manufacturing
• Drive first-silicon bring-up, working closely with design teams to validate functionality and performance
• Define production test architecture, balancing coverage, cost, and throughput
• Lead qualification and reliability activities across voltage, temperature, and aging conditions
• Establish qualification methodologies for automotive and datacentre markets
• Own NPI processes, including phase gates, cross-functional reviews, and documentation
• Manage OSAT relationships: partner evaluation, test transfer, and production readiness
• Collaborate with foundries on yield analysis, process monitoring, and improvement actions

Bristol Lab Leadership

• Lead the Bristol validation lab where dev board bring-up, silicon characterization, and test development are performed
• Manage lab operations: equipment, calibration, procurement, stock control, and safety
• Oversee validation work including power sequencing, JTAG/scan testing, clock and signal integrity characterization, and thermal validation
• Guide development of test fixtures, cable assemblies, and lab tooling
• Prioritize and oversee small engineering projects that support product development
• Evolve the lab from an informal setup into a scalable, well-controlled engineering operation

What You'll Build

• A scalable product engineering function supporting multiple silicon programs
• Robust ATE infrastructure from engineering characterization to volume manufacturing
• Strong DFT and testability practices embedded early in design
• A structured, well-run validation lab with clear procedures, maintained equipment, and improved stock control
• Trusted external partnerships with OSATs, test houses, and foundries

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience in semiconductor test development and silicon characterization
• Strong understanding of ATE platforms and test program optimization
• Deep knowledge of reliability physics and qualification of complex SoCs
• Experience with silicon debug and failure analysis tools (oscilloscopes, logic analysers, thermal tools, FA workflows)
• Practical lab management experience including calibration, equipment management, and safety
• Solid understanding of test and manufacturing economics
• Build, mentor, and scale a multidisciplinary engineering team
• Act as a senior technical leader in architectural reviews and roadmap discussions
• Communicate complex technical topics clearly to engineers and executives
• Manage multiple parallel workstreams across internal teams and external partners
• Operate comfortably from strategic planning down to hands-on problem solving in the lab

Experience with automotive or datacentre qualification standards is a strong plus.

Location

This position is based in Bristol on an on-site/hybrid basis,

What Success Looks Like

Year 1

• Successful bring-up and qualification of the next chip program
• Smooth transition of current products into qualified production
• Clear test strategy aligned with quality and cost goals
• More efficient, better-structured Bristol lab operations

Longer term

• Faster tapeout-to-production cycles
• Strong, repeatable quality metrics
• A product engineering team and lab that scale cleanly as the company grows

What weoffer

This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organization. We offer an attractive compensation package, including a pension plan, extensive employee insurances and the option to get company shares.

An open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation is awaiting you. Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility is characteristic for the way we act and work as a team.

At Axelera AI, we wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and hold diversity in the highest regard. Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to join us in shaping the future of AI.