Director of Silicon Product & Test Engineering

Position Overview

You'll own Silicon Product Engineering and our Bristol validation lab end-to-end — from tapeout through NPI to volume production — and lead the teams that get us there. The NPI Engineering Manager and Lab Manager report to you; you report to the executive team and partner closely with Design, Sales, and our external manufacturing ecosystem.

This is a director-level leadership role. It needs someone with the technical depth to make sound ATE, NPI and OSAT calls and earn senior engineers' respect, plus the commercial judgement to own budgets, headcount, and the day-to-day running of two technical departments as we scale across concurrent chip programs.

Key responsibilities

Product engineering & strategy

• The product engineering roadmap across all silicon programs, from tapeout planning to high-volume manufacturing
• ATE strategy and major NPI decisions: build-vs-buy, test-coverage trade-offs, OSAT selection
• Tapeout-to-production timelines — surfacing risk early and coordinating resolution across design, validation, and partners
• Product qualification strategy for datacentre and automotive markets
• NPI governance: phase gates, cross-functional reviews, executive reporting

External partners

• Strategic relationships with OSATs, ATE vendors, foundries, and test houses — selection, negotiation, production readiness
• Test program transfer, ramp, and ongoing yield improvement with OSAT and foundry partners

Bristol lab

• Evolving the validation lab into a scalable, well-run operation; owning its budget, standards, and safety
• Through the Lab Manager, overseeing silicon bring-up, characterization, and production test development
• Ensuring validation capability (power, JTAG/scan, signal integrity, thermal) keeps pace with the roadmap

Team

• Building, leading, and mentoring a multidisciplinary team of test engineers, validation engineers, and lab technicians
• Recruiting and retaining senior talent in a competitive market
• Translating executive strategy into clear direction, and representing both functions to the exec team, board, and key customers

What we are looking for

• A background spanning product, test, assembly, and qualification of complex SoCs — ideally including hands‑on lab time and exposure to startup or high‑growth environments
• Deep command of ATE platforms and test program development, from early silicon to volume
• Strong grasp of reliability physics and qualification methodology, including automotive and datacentre standards
• Working knowledge of DFT, silicon debug/FA workflows, and test/manufacturing economics
• A proven track record leading and scaling technical teams in fast‑moving semiconductor environments
• Senior‑level OSAT/foundry/test‑house management, including commercial negotiation
• Strong executive communication — able to take complex technical topics to a board‑level audience
• Comfort building process and infrastructure from scratch, and making high‑impact calls with incomplete information

Nice to have: automotive (AEC-Q100) or datacentre qualification experience; prior time in AI hardware or a high‑growth deep‑tech startup.

Success in the first 12 months

• Next chip program brought up and qualified on schedule
• Current products transitioned into qualified, cost‑effective production
• A clear, executive‑aligned test and product engineering strategy across all active programs
• A better‑structured, better‑equipped, better‑controlled Bristol lab
• Key OSAT and foundry partnerships strengthened and formalised

Location

• Our Bristol (UK) office in an on‑site / 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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.

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