Sr. Staff Engineer, Automotive Reliability/Team Lead

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a senior leader in Automotive Reliability to set strategy, define qualification methodologies, and drive end-to-end reliability across devices, packages, components, and systems.

You will mentor engineers, shape validation plans, and influence design choices to meet rigorous reliability targets. The role requires guiding complex semiconductor automotive programs, coordinating with design, process, test, and product teams, and communicating risks and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Reliability Engineering experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Reliability Engineering experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Reliability Engineering experience.
• 2+ years in a technical leadership role with or without direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Automotive Reliability team and drive reliability strategy and execution for high-impact automotive products and programs.
• Manage, mentor, and develop engineers; serve as a trusted technical authority for automotive reliability.
• Define and evolve automotive reliability requirements, qualification methodologies, and validation strategies.
• Define and optimize burn-in and production screening strategies to meet reliability and cost targets.
• Provide expert judgment on reliability tradeoffs balancing performance, power, quality, and schedule.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with design, process, test, product, quality, program, and customer-facing teams.

Skills

Reliability engineering

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Statistical analysis

Design for reliability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

PhD in Engineering

Job description

Company: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Reliability Development Engineering

General Summary

Evaluates, from a reliability standpoint, the materials, properties and techniques used in production. Recommends design or test methods and statistical process control procedures for achieving required levels of product reliability. Determines reliability requirements of components and systems to achieve company, customer and any governmental agency reliability objectives. Makes recommendations for changes in the selection and application of components and systems. May propose changes in design or formulation to improve system and/or process reliability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Automotive Reliability team and drive reliability strategy and execution for high-impact automotive products and programs, spanning devices, packages, components, and systems.
• Manage, mentor, and develop engineers; serve as a trusted technical authority and advisor for automotive reliability across the organization.
• Define and evolve automotive reliability requirements, AEC-aligned qualification methodologies, and validation strategies for complex designs and technologies.
• Define and optimize automotive burn-in and production screening strategies to achieve reliability, quality, and DPPM objectives while balancing manufacturing cost and cycle-time constraints.
• Provide expert technical judgment on critical reliability tradeoffs, balancing performance, power, quality, schedule, and business considerations.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with design, process, test, product, quality, program, and customer-facing teams to meet aggressive schedules without compromising automotive quality and reliability, ensure reliability requirements are integrated throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Represent the company in customer-facing technical engagements, including qualification reviews, reliability assessments, audit support, and resolution of customer reliability concerns.
• Communicate automotive reliability status, qualification readiness, risks, and strategic recommendations clearly to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Material Science, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Reliability Engineering (e.g., reliability analysis, stress testing) experience or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Material Science, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Reliability Engineering (e.g., reliability analysis, stress testing) experience or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Material Science, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Reliability Engineering (e.g., reliability analysis, stress testing) experience or related work experience.
• 2+ years in a technical leadership role with or without direct reports. (applies only to positions with direct reports).

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in semiconductor and/or component reliability, physics-of-failure, failure mechanisms, and qualification methodologies, with relevant automotive industry experience.
• 6+ years of strong working knowledge of applicable AEC standards and specifications, including interpretation of qualification requirements for automotive semiconductor products and components.
• 3+ years of managerial and/or mentoring experience, developing engineers, and setting reliability standards, processes, or methodologies.
• Strong experience with Automotive Change Management and Product Change Notifications (PCNs), including reliability impact assessments, qualification planning, and customer approval strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve incomplete or conflicting product, customer, and regulatory requirements into robust automotive reliability and qualification strategies aligned with safety, quality, schedule, and business objectives.
• Proven expertise in developing mission-profile-based automotive reliability qualification strategies, including lifetime modeling, risk assessment, and requirements alignment for complex semiconductor products.
• Knowledge of automotive burn-in methodologies, production screening strategies, and DPPM improvement initiatives across silicon, package, and system-level qualification programs.
• Proven ability to define Statements of Work (SOWs), manage external qualification laboratories and suppliers, and drive end-to-end execution of automotive reliability stress testing and validation programs.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present automotive reliability risks, trade-offs, and recommendations to engineering leadership, customers, and executives.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related field, with significant industry experience in semiconductor, component, automotive, or reliability engineering roles.
• Advanced degree (PhD) preferred.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$158,200.00 - $237,400.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

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