Senior Hardware Test and Reliability Engineer

Skydio, Inc.; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

401K savings plan

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Skydio, Inc. is seeking a Senior Hardware Test and Reliability Engineer in San Mateo, CA to lead the test strategy for complex autonomous electro‑mechanical systems.

You will drive validation from prototype through volume production, coordinating with electrical, mechanical, and software teams to uncover failure modes early and implement robust mitigations. The role emphasizes data‑driven decision making, analysis of flight telemetry and customer data, and development of prognostic maintenance

Qualifications

• 6+ years hands-on testing of electro-mechanical systems with a focus on reliability.
• Proven lead of technical validation programs end-to-end.
• Strong robotics testing experience with mechanical intuition.
• Experience with failure analysis, root-cause, and corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute comprehensive test strategies from prototyping to production.
• Own validation planning, execution, and risk management.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and software teams for failure analysis and mitigations.
• Contribute to design reviews with reliability inputs for prototyping to shipment.
• Analyze large flight telemetry and customer data to identify potential faults.
• Develop prognostic and maintenance concepts grounded in data.

Skills

Test engineering

Validation programs

Robotics testing

Physics of failure

Python/SQL

Data analysis

Job description

Senior Hardware Test and Reliability Engineer

US CA San Mateo- Full-time

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders , soldiers in battlefield scenarios , and beyond .

About the role

Autonomous systems bring together electronics hardware, sensing, and real-time AI software. The complexity of the systems combined with the fact they can move freely in the real world, makes the development, performance, and reliability testing strategy a key element of delivering a great product.

We are seeking a driven and versatile Senior Hardware Test and Reliability Engineer to help drive safety and reliability initiatives, develop and execute test plans that enable rapid design iteration and robust product validation for state-of-the-art autonomous flying machines servicing a broad range of enterprise, public safety, and defense applications.

How you will make an impact

• Work with product development, embedded software, quality, manufacturing, and suppliers to define and execute comprehensive test strategies from early prototyping stages through volume production, enabling earliest possible discovery of failure modes for complex electro-mechanical autonomous systems
• Lead technical test strategy and own validation planning, execution and risk management from early prototypes through volume production
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical and software engineering teams to perform failure analysis, identify root cause, implement corrective actions, resolve system issues, and help develop process/design mitigations
• Contribute to design reviews and provide key design for reliability inputs to mitigate risks from first prototypes to first customer shipment and beyond
• A keen interest in contributing across multiple domains to make Skydio products the default choice for users in challenging environments
• Immerse yourself in massive data sets from developmental flight telemetry and robust customer analytics to identify problems before they occur, perform risk assessments, develop prognostic and conditioned based maintenance protocols, and anchor our reliability test specs firmly data

Useful skills and experience

• Deep curiosity with 6+ years experience hands‑on testing, development and delivery of highly reliable complex electro‑mechanical systems with an emphasis on high density PCBA test engineering and debug
• Proven experience leading technical validation programs end-to-end, with accountability for test strategy, execution quality, and overall system readiness
• Strong robotics testing experience coupled with good mechanical intuition desired to rapidly drive failure analysis
• Extensive knowledge of the physics of failure and integration risks of one or more critical electronics and mechanical subsystems such as compute systems, electro‑mechanical or electronic sensors
• Proficient in Python and/or SQL and how to best harness AI models to maximize efficiency and minimize hallucinations analyzing large datasets or scripting efficient automated testing; uncovering correlations and trends between our drones, their operational environments, and diverse use cases
• A passion for communicating the nuances of hardware reliability to internal and external cross functional teams to help drive organizational priorities

Certifications

Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.

Compensation

At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full‑time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $170,000 - $230,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long‑term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full‑time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full‑time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full‑time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.

*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.

Why join us

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti‑discrimination laws.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E‑Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E‑Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

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SELF‑IDENTIFICATION OF VETERAN STATUS

Skydio is a Government contractor subject to Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, which requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans. If you believe that you belong to any of the following categories of protected veterans, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.

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Skydio is a Government contractor subject to Section 4232 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, and the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, which requires that all employment decisions be made on the basis of job‑related criteria without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

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