Director - Silicon Product Engineering

Axelera AI B.V.

Job Overview

Location

Bristol (on-site)

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• Lead the Silicon Product Engineering and Bristol Lab functions through NPI and into volume production, with direct oversight of the NPI Engineering Manager and Lab Manager.
• Define and own the end-to-end product engineering roadmap for all silicon programs, from tapeout planning through high-volume manufacturing, ensuring alignment with business and customer requirements.
• Own ATE strategy and critical NPI decisions including build-vs-buy, test-coverage trade-offs, and OSAT selection at program kickoff.
• Drive tapeout-to-production timelines by identifying risks early and coordinating resolution across design, validation, and external manufacturing partners.
• Lead product qualification strategy for both datacentre and automotive markets, ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory standards such as AEC-Q100.
• Govern NPI phase gates, cross-functional reviews, executive reporting, and program documentation to ensure disciplined execution.
• Plan and scale team structure, headcount, and capabilities to support multiple concurrent chip programs as the company grows.
• 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 initiatives.
• Collaborate with foundries on process monitoring, yield analysis, and continuous improvement across multiple semiconductor technology nodes.
• Build and maintain a trusted external partner network that delivers competitive advantage in speed, quality, and cost.
• Evolve the Bristol validation lab into a scalable, professionally-run engineering operation supporting multiple concurrent programs.
• Oversee silicon bring-up, characterization, and production test development in the Bristol lab through the Lab Manager.
• Set and manage lab operational standards, including budget ownership for equipment, calibration, procurement, safety, and stock control.
• Ensure the lab’s validation capabilities (power, JTAG/scan, signal integrity, thermal) scale in alignment with company ambitions.
• Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of test engineers, validation engineers, and lab technicians.
• Recruit and develop senior technical talent, creating clear career paths to retain top performers in a competitive market.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, rigour, and accountability aligned with Axelera’s fast-moving environment.
• Run regular Product Engineering and Lab team meetings, provide escalation support to direct reports, and act as a senior technical voice in roadmap and strategy discussions.
• Translate executive strategy into clear direction for engineering teams and represent both Product Engineering and Lab functions to the executive team, board, and key customers.
• Achieve successful bring-up and qualification of next chip program on schedule within first 12 months.
• Ensure current products transition smoothly into qualified, cost-effective production.
• Establish a clear, executive-aligned test and product engineering strategy across all active programs.
• Elevate Bristol lab operations to higher standards: better-structured, better-equipped, and better-controlled.
• Strengthen and formalize key OSAT and foundry partnerships.
• Deliver faster tapeout-to-production cycles with repeatable, measurable quality metrics.
• Build a silicon product organization that scales efficiently across multiple concurrent chip programs.
• Position Axelera AI as an operationally excellent silicon company recognized by partners and customers.
• Cultivate a high-performing team with clear development paths and strong retention.

🎯 Requirements

• Background spanning package, product, assembly, test (including lab experience), and qualification, with experience 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 (AEC-Q100) and datacentre standards.
• 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 with budget ownership, headcount planning, and resourcing decisions.

🏖️ Benefits

• Attractive compensation package
• Pension plan
• Extensive employee insurances
• Option to receive company shares
• Open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation
• Collaborative ownership with freedom and responsibility

Skills & Technologies

Remote

Degree Required

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Axelera AI B.V.

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About Axelera AI B.V.

Axelera AI B.V. is a Dutch semiconductor company that designs and markets purpose-built, energy-efficient AI inference accelerators. Its products combine a custom RISC-V architecture with in-memory computing to deliver high performance for computer-vision workloads at the edge. Headquartered in Eindhoven with offices in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and the UK, the company serves OEMs and system integrators in security, retail, robotics and automotive markets.

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