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Principal Electrical Engineer

Austin, Texas, United States

About us

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in artificial intelligence compute.

We are developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and support the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of a family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, we share a bold vision to enable advanced artificial intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.

Graphcore brings together AI researchers, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects to solve complex technical challenges and deliver innovative computing solutions.

Job Summary

The Principal Electrical Engineer will be a technical authority within Data Center Engineering, leading the architecture and delivery of safe, resilient and scalable electrical infrastructure for high-density AI computing environments. Working with internal teams, data center developers, utilities, consultants and equipment partners, this role will guide projects from early technical studies through design, construction, commissioning, operation and lifecycle improvement.

The successful candidate must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, Austin, Texas. Approximately 10% travel may be required.

The Team

The Data Center Engineering team is responsible for defining and enabling the infrastructure needed to deploy and operate Graphcore’s computing systems at scale. The team works across electrical, mechanical, thermal, controls, systems and operational disciplines, collaborating with external engineering and construction partners to deliver reliable, efficient and maintainable data center environments.

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Act as the technical authority for electrical engineering across data center infrastructure projects, from the utility or on-site power source through to the IT rack.
  • Lead electrical architecture development through conceptual studies, detailed design, construction, commissioning, operation and lifecycle improvement.
  • Develop electrical standards, specifications, reference designs, qualification plans and acceptance criteria for power distribution and conversion systems.
  • Define electrical protection and safety approaches for AC and DC systems, including fault detection, interruption, isolation, grounding, stored energy, insulation monitoring, lockout and safe maintenance.
  • Develop resilient power solutions for highly dynamic AI and high-performance computing loads, including ride-through, short-duration energy buffering, backup generation, energy storage and utility interconnection.
  • Evaluate established and emerging power conversion, protection, control and energy-storage technologies, making clear recommendations based on safety, reliability, efficiency and maintainability.
  • Lead technical due diligence, design reviews, failure-mode assessments, factory and site acceptance testing, site inspections and commissioning activities.
  • Direct engineering consultants and technology partners, ensuring that designs, calculations, specifications and construction documentation meet project requirements.
  • Develop and manage owner’s project requirements and review consultant deliverables, submittals, requests for information and proposed technical changes.
  • Collaborate with construction partners during the delivery of laboratory and data hall spaces, supporting site reviews, technical issue resolution and project risk management.
  • Partner with teams across IT, silicon, mechanical, thermal, controls, operations and sustainability to resolve cross-disciplinary design challenges.
  • Support operational readiness, incident investigation and root-cause analysis, identifying practical improvements to reliability, safety and system performance.
  • Engage effectively with authorities, utilities and relevant industry bodies to support compliant project delivery.
  • Maintain current knowledge of developments in AI and high-performance computing infrastructure, electrical equipment, engineering standards, codes and regional utility requirements.
  • Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across projects without direct people-management responsibility.

Candidate Profile

Essential

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a closely related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
  • Substantial experience delivering mission-critical electrical infrastructure in hyperscale data centers, colocation facilities, semiconductor facilities, utilities or comparable high-availability environments.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead a significant technical area, make independent engineering decisions and influence outcomes across multiple disciplines and external partners.
  • Deep knowledge of medium- and low-voltage AC systems and high-power DC distribution systems.
  • Strong understanding of power electronics and conversion technologies, including rectifiers, inverters, isolated and non-isolated DC/DC conversion, controls and galvanic isolation.
  • Strong knowledge of electrical fault behaviour and protection, including grounding, insulation monitoring, selective coordination, interruption, arc hazards, stored energy and safe maintenance.
  • Broad technical knowledge of utility and medium-voltage systems, transformers, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies, generators, battery energy storage, power distribution units, busway, monitoring and controls.
  • Experience designing electrical interfaces for high-density computing or other highly dynamic mission-critical loads.
  • Proficiency with ETAP or SKM PowerTools, together with experience using an electromagnetic-transient or power-electronics simulation environment such as PSCAD, EMTP-RV, PLECS, PSIM or MATLAB/Simulink.
  • Strong familiarity with applicable North American and international electrical requirements, including relevant NFPA, IEEE, IEC, UL, CSA and local standards.
  • Experience directing consultants, reviewing technical deliverables and supporting construction, testing and commissioning activities.
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain complex engineering decisions clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Sound engineering judgement and the ability to lead cross-functional work in a fast-moving environment with competing priorities.
  • Willingness to travel approximately 10% as required.

Desirable

  • Professional Engineer licence or equivalent international professional certification.
  • Experience with behind-the-meter generation, microgrids or other on-site energy systems.
  • Experience developing, testing or deploying high-power DC data center architectures.
  • Hands-on experience with emerging transformer, converter or electrical-protection technologies.
  • Experience integrating battery energy storage, supercapacitors, fuel cells, renewable generation or demand-response capabilities.
  • Experience designing Tier III or Tier IV data centers, or infrastructure with comparable availability requirements.
  • Participation in relevant industry standards groups or technical forums.
  • Experience with reliability engineering, FMEA or FMECA, functional safety, controls, telemetry or operational-technology cybersecurity.
  • Familiarity with engineering and design tools such as Visio, Bluebeam, AutoCAD or Revit.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing and financial future. Our benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, commuter benefits, wellness services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). 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.

 

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