About Graphcore
What is Graphcore?
Graphcore is a British AI-compute company that builds the silicon, hardware, software and systems used to train and run artificial intelligence. Its own job adverts describe it as "one of the world's leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute", developing "hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs". The company timeline records that "Graphcore is officially founded as a company, with its headquarters in Wine Street, Bristol, UK" in June 2016, and that it began shipping Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU) products in 2018. Graphcore's about page now states that it "is now a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp and will continue to operate under the Graphcore name"; adverts add that "as part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies", united by a vision "to enable Artificial Super Intelligence".
Where will I work?
This is an office-anchored employer rather than a remote-first one. The contact page lists a Bristol HQ on Wine Street plus Cambridge and London in the UK, Gdansk in Poland, Bengaluru in India, Hsinchu and Taipei in Taiwan, and Austin and Milpitas in the US. Live vacancies cluster in Bristol, Austin, Cambridge, Gdansk, London, Bengaluru and Milpitas. The careers page frames the arrangement as trust-based — "We trust you to manage your work whether you are in the office or at home" — while Polish adverts are more explicit, specifying a "Hybrid Working Policy - 2-3 Days per week in office".
What is the Graphcore team like?
Deeply engineering-led. Graphcore calls itself "a melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects" that "enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation". Open roles run from silicon logic design and verification through post-silicon validation, power electronics and firmware to ML software, cloud and MLOps. Away from the work, the careers page describes ML reading groups, board game socials, book clubs, morning yoga, lunchtime runs, wellbeing rooms and on-site barista bars.
Work-Life Balance
Leave differs by country, so read the advert for your location. UK adverts and the careers page list "Unlimited annual leave"; other UK adverts instead say "a generous annual leave policy" or "Generous leave" with no figure attached. Polish adverts refer only to an "annual leave policy", and US adverts do not mention unlimited leave at all. Flexible hours are the constant: "Our flexible working hours mean you can do the school run and take the breaks you need while being accountable for delivering your work." Some UK adverts go further, promising "True flexibility in how and where you work". Nothing on the site or job board mentions a four-day week, a 32-hour week or compressed hours.
Perks and Benefits
- Unlimited annual leave on UK adverts and the careers page
- Pension matched up to 5% in the UK, 4% in Poland, 401(k) in the US
- Private medical insurance and a health cash plan
- Comprehensive dental cover
- Life assurance and income protection
- Generous parental leave policy
- Employee assistance programme covering health, mental wellbeing and bereavement
- Phantom equity — "share in Graphcore's success"
- Education and training allowances, development plan and O'Reilly online learning
- Gym membership, Dell and travel-to-work discounts (UK)