Axelera AI - Director - Silicon Product Engineering
Requirements
• Technical Background • Background spanning package, product, assembly, test (including lab experience), and qualification, with time spent in startup or high-growth environments. • Deep command of ATE platforms and test program development across early silicon and volume manufacturing. • Strong understanding of reliability physics and qualification methodology for complex SoCs, including automotive and datacentre standards. • Familiarity with silicon debug and failure analysis workflows sufficient to guide the team and assess risk. • Solid grasp of test and manufacturing economics: how decisions in design and test translate to cost and yield at scale. • Working knowledge of DFT and how testability requirements are agreed with Design at NPI. • Leadership & Commercial Acumen • Proven track record of leading and scaling technical teams in fast-moving semiconductor environments. • Experience managing OSAT, test house, and foundry relationships at a senior level, including commercial negotiation. • Track record of running technical departments at director level, including budget ownership, headcount planning, and resourcing decisions. • Strong executive communication skills, able to translate complex technical topics for board-level audiences and to convert executive strategy into clear direction for engineering teams. • Experience building engineering processes and infrastructure from scratch or in high-growth, scaling environments. • Comfortable holding ambiguity and making high-impact decisions with incomplete information. • Experience with automotive (AEC-Q100) or datacentre qualification standards is a strong plus. Prior experience in an AI hardware or high-growth deep-tech startup is advantageous. • Location • We offer a flexible working arrangement, work from our Bristol (UK) office in an Onsite / Hybrid capacity. • What we offer • This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organisation. 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.
Responsibilities
• Silicon Product Strategy & Ownership • Define and own the product engineering roadmap across all silicon programs, from tapeout planning through high-volume manufacturing. • Own ATE strategy and major NPI decisions, including build-vs-buy, test-coverage trade-offs, and OSAT selection at programme kickoff. • Drive tapeout-to-production timelines, identifying risks early and coordinating resolution across design, validation, and manufacturing partners. • Own product qualification strategy for both datacentre and automotive markets, ensuring alignment with customer and regulatory standards. • Lead NPI governance: phase gates, cross-functional reviews, executive reporting, and programme documentation. • Plan team structure, headcount, and capability against the company's growth pipeline, ensuring Product Engineering and Lab can support concurrent programs as the business scales. • External Partner & Ecosystem Leadership • Own strategic relationships with OSATs, ATE vendors, foundries, and test houses, driving partner selection, commercial negotiations, and production readiness. • Lead test program transfer and ramp with OSAT partners, including technical qualification and ongoing yield improvement. • Collaborate with foundries on process monitoring, yield analysis, and continuous improvement across multiple technology nodes. • Build a trusted external partner network that gives Axelera competitive advantage in speed, quality, and cost. • Bristol Lab & Validation Operations • Lead and evolve the Bristol validation lab into a scalable, professionally-run engineering operation supporting multiple concurrent programs. • Through the Lab Manager, oversee silicon bring-up, characterisation, and production test development carried out in the lab. • Set operational standards and own the lab budget covering equipment, calibration, procurement, safety, and stock control. • Ensure the lab's validation capability (power, JTAG/scan, signal integrity, thermal) scales with the company's ambition. • Team Leadership & Organisational Development • Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of test engineers, validation engineers, and lab technicians. • Recruit and develop senior talent, creating career paths that retain top performers in a competitive market. • Foster a culture of engineering excellence, rigour, and accountability aligned with Axelera's fast-moving culture. • Run regular Product Engineering and Lab team meetings, provide escalation support for the managers reporting to you, and act as a senior technical voice in roadmap and strategy discussions. • Translate executive strategy into clear direction for the Product Engineering and Lab teams, and represent both functions to the executive team, board, and key customers. • What Success Looks Like:In the first 12 months • What Success Looks Like: • Successful bring-up and qualification of the next chip program delivered on schedule. • Current products smoothly transitioned into qualified, cost-effective production. • A clear, executive-aligned test and product engineering strategy in place across all active programs. • Bristol lab operating to a higher standard: better-structured, better-equipped, and better-controlled. • Key OSAT and foundry partnerships strengthened and formalised. • Longer term • Faster tapeout-to-production cycles, with repeatable and measurable quality metrics. • A silicon product organisation that scales efficiently across multiple concurrent chip programs. • Axelera AI recognised by partners and customers as an operationally excellent silicon company. • A high-performing team with clear development paths and strong retention.
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