Hardware Lab Engineer Intern

Location: Florence (on-site) Workplace: Hybrid About Us Axelera AI https://www.axelera.ai is not your regular deep-tech company. We design AI inference silicon spanning edge and enterprise deployments, built on a low-power architecture that delivers strong performance-per-watt from embedded devices up through large-scale inference infrastructure. In just five years we have raised $450 million and built a team spanning 22 countries. We are headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven in the Netherlands and we placed No. 3 on Fast Company's 2026 Most Innovative Companies list in the Emerging Enterprise category. Our September 2026 launch of Europa brought physical and enterprise AI to market through a growing partner ecosystem that includes Dell and Supermicro. That ecosystem is now one of the most important things we have, and it needs someone whose whole job is ensuring it thrives. Are you up for the challenge? Position Overview We are looking for a motivated recent graduate to join our hardware team in Florence as a 6-month Hardware Lab Engineer Intern, supporting the development and validation of our AIPU (AI Processing Unit) boards. You will work alongside hardware, test and validation engineers on board bring-up, electrical characterization and test automation. You will also play a key role in running our hardware lab, keeping equipment, components and workspace organized, efficient and safe. This is a great opportunity for a Bachelor’s graduate in Electronic/Electrical Engineering (or a related field) who wants to turn academic knowledge into hands-on R&D experience on cutting-edge AI hardware, with real ownership of tasks from day one. Key Responsibilities - Electrical characterization: Plan and perform voltage, current, power, signal integrity and timing measurements on AIPU boards and related hardware using lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, multimeters, programmable power supplies, electronic loads, DAQ systems, etc.) - Test bench development: Contribute to the definition, assembly and configuration of test benches for board bring-up and validation, including writing the related setup documentation - Test automation: Develop Python scripts to control lab instruments and to automate measurement and data-collection flows - Data analysis and reporting: Analyze performance data, compare board behavior against specifications and design targets, and present findings in clear technical reports - Ancillary board design: Design small support/ancillary boards from requirements through schematic capture and PCB layout (Altium Designer / KiCad), and support their assembly and debug - Lab and inventory management: Run the hardware lab day to day, maintaining equipment and calibration schedules, tracking the inventory of components and boards, and keeping the workspace organized, safe and ESD-compliant Soft Skills - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - Highly organized and proactive, able to take ownership of tasks and drive them to completion - Precise and methodical, with strong attention to detail and a structured approach to processes and documentation - Good team player, comfortable collaborating with engineers across disciplines - Fluent in English (spoken and written); Italian is a plus but not required Location Work from our Axelera AI office in Florence (Italy). The role requires on-site lab presence. We do not offer new visa/work permit sponsorship for this opportunity in Italy at this time. What We Offer This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organization. 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. 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. Axelera AI may at times work with external parties (such as recruiters, headhunters, or executive search firms) to support both publicly posted and confidential searches. Our hiring process never involves any payment from candidates, and we will never require you to use a particular paid service to be considered for a role. If you have been approached by someone on our behalf and want to confirm it’s legitimate, please contact us directly at careers@axelera.ai.