Firmware Engineer Intern

Location: Bristol, UK
Duration: 12 weeks
Salary: £2500 per month
Start date: June 2027 
Application deadline: Midnight, 29th November 2026 
We encourage you to apply early, as we may close applications before the advertised deadline.

The Internship Programme at Graphcore

Explore a career at Graphcore through a 12-week summer internship, gaining hands-on experience on real projects. You’ll bring fresh ideas, put your learning into practice and help shape what we’re creating. Along the way, you’ll tackle challenging problems with a team who welcome your questions and support you as you build your skills and confidence.

What you’ll work on

Put your programming skills to work exploring how firmware brings AI hardware to life, from first boot to system monitoring.

As a Firmware Engineering Intern, you’ll contribute to firmware for Graphcore’s next-generation products. Working closely to with our silicon and hardware teams, you’ll contribute to software that supports hardware bootup and provides telemetry and monitoring data that helps data centre operators understand what the hardware is doing.

Your tasks could include writing code, develop unit tests and investigate behaviour on hardware using logs, oscilloscopes and logic analysers. You’ll contribute to a shared codebase and see how software decisions affect physical systems.

Your team and support

The Firmware team sits within System Software and works with teams across Graphcore and our partners. You’ll report to the Firmware Manager and work alongside engineers connecting silicon, hardware and software.

Technical discussions, code reviews and Agile working practices will help you understand design decisions and how the team coordinates its work. You can ask for help as you learn the codebase, explain your thinking and use feedback to improve your work.

Decisions are shaped by technical discussion and investigation. As an intern, you’ll be encouraged to ask questions, raise issues early and share what you learn, with support from experienced engineers as you try out different approaches.

How you’ll learn and grow

Over the 12 weeks, you’ll build practical experience in firmware development, unit testing and debugging through the work your tasks focus on.

Investigating issues on real hardware will help you connect software behaviour with physical signals and develop a methodical approach to finding problems. Code reviews will introduce you to shared development and coding standards and help you build confidence contributing to a team codebase, giving you a clearer view of a career in embedded software.

Your internship is a chance to explore a future at Graphcore. Depending on your performance and the roles available, there may be an opportunity to join one of our graduate programmes once you’ve graduated.

What we’re looking for

• Currently studying towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Maths or a related field. Equivalent experience is also welcome
• Introductory programming experience in C or Python, with some understanding of continuous integration, build systems and software packaging best practices
• A practical, methodical approach to problem solving, with the ability to organise your work and follow tasks through to completion
• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to document complex system designs coherently

Previous industry experience is not required. Tell us what you built or investigated through coursework, personal or team projects, research or other relevant experience, how you approached it and what you learned.

Benefits

• Flexible working: Find a balance between your internship and life outside work
• 5 days of annual leave: Take time to rest and recharge during your 12-week internship
• Life in the office: Get to know your colleagues in spaces designed for collaboration, with free food, a great selection of ice cream and an on-site barista
• Learning and development: Build your skills and explore your interests with access to O’Reilly, our online learning platform

We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work.

We’re an equal opportunity employer and recognise that everyone brings different strengths and perspectives. If you need any adjustments during the interview process, just let us know - we’re happy to support you.

Sponsorship

Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme, without requiring visa sponsorship. We are unable to sponsor work visas for our Early Careers opportunities..

Introduction to Graphcore

At Graphcore, we’re building next generation AI compute: From semiconductors and software to systems at datacenter scale. We are proud to be owned by SoftBank Group and work with other companies in the SoftBank family to deliver AI compute to customers working at the AI frontier.

An internship at Graphcore gives you the chance to explore where your interests and skills could take you. You’ll work alongside people with different backgrounds and expertise, from AI researchers to chip designers and software engineers. Together, you’ll share ideas and solve challenging problems, building experience and confidence to help you decide what comes next.

How to apply and what to expect

To apply, answer the application questions below and upload your CV and cover letter. We’ll let you know the outcome of your application by early December at the latest. If successful, you’ll be invited to complete a technical assessment. Candidates who reach the final stage will then be invited to attend in-person assessments in early spring.

Curious about where your skills could take you? Apply for a summer internship at Graphcore and help us build what comes next.