Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer

NextGenEnergyJobs; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 181,000 - 262,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity compensation

Benefits package

Job summary

Aurora is seeking a Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer to drive testing and validation of automotive power and compute hardware for autonomous systems. You will lead cross-functional efforts across electrical, firmware, mechanical, software and manufacturing teams to ensure reliability and safety standards are met.

The role requires 5+ years in hardware reliability with experience in automotive or similar industries, and strong skills in failure analysis, HALT/HASS, vibration and environmental

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in hardware reliability engineering, preferably automotive/aerospace.
• Strong understanding of reliability testing methods and failure analysis.
• Experience with firmware interactions and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to lead root cause analysis using 8D/5-Why/Fishbone.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware reliability testing and validation for automotive power and compute hardware.
• Collaborate with electrical, firmware, mechanical, software and manufacturing teams to ensure reliability.
• Develop and monitor reliability testing protocols including stress, environmental, and failure mode analysis.
• Analyze failure data to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Create reports on testing, findings and corrective actions for stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement to meet automotive reliability standards.
• Mentor reliability engineers and promote best practices.
• Lead 8D/5-Why/Fishbone RCA processes for hardware issues.

Skills

Hardware reliability

Python

Data analysis

Root cause analysis

Firmware interactions

ISO 26262

HALT/HASS

Vibration testing

Test automation

Contract manufacturers

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Weibull++

JMP

dFMEA

Job description

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee hardware reliability testing and validation for automotive power and compute hardware used in autonomous vehicles.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including electrical, firmware, mechanical, software, and manufacturing teams, to ensure overall system reliability.
• Develop, implement, and monitor reliability testing protocols, including stress tests, environmental tests, and failure mode analysis.
• Analyze failure data to identify root causes of hardware reliability issues and implement corrective actions.
• Create detailed reports on reliability testing, findings, and corrective actions and present them to stakeholders to drive decisions around hardware improvements and risk.
• Drive continuous improvement in hardware design and development processes to meet automotive reliability standards.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to reliability engineers, helping drive adoption of reliability best practices across teams.
• Required qualifications
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (preferred), Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in hardware reliability engineering, preferably in the automotive, aerospace, or heavy-duty vehicle industry.
• Strong understanding of hardware design principles, reliability testing methodologies (e.g., HALT/HASS, vibration, thermal cycling, humidity), and failure analysis techniques.
• Experience working with firmware development teams and a solid understanding of firmware and hardware interactions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) for hardware reliability issues.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and software (e.g., Python, JMP…) and familiarity with reliability prediction and assurance tools and methods (e.g., Weibull++, dFMEA)
• Experience with hardware requirement concepts
• Knowledge of automotive safety standards and regulations (e.g., ISO 26262, ISO 16750)
• Experience with automotive electronics/ECU or compute hardware (thermal, power, connector reliability)
• Experience working with contract manufacturers or Tier-1 suppliers on quality/reliability issues (PPAP, supplier corrective actions)
• Prior experience mentoring engineers or driving reliability process adoption across teams
• Test automation and infrastructure knowledge
• The base salary range for this position is $181,000 - $262,000 per year. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.
• Working at Aurora At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.
• We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.
• Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom .

Requirements

• Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.
• We’re searching for a Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer. The Hardware Reliability team is dedicated to ensuring the robustness and dependability of hardware systems in the Aurora hardware stack. Our team is responsible for designing tests, and validating the hardware components that form the backbone of Aurora’s autonomous systems, ensuring they meet the highest Automotive standards of performance and durability under our tough field conditions.