Staff Reliability Engineer

Peak Energy; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity opportunities

Flexible time off

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Strong 401(k) plan

Job summary

Peak Energy is seeking a Staff Reliability Engineer to scale HV electronics reliability across the product life cycle, from concept to field deployment.

You will own DfR activities, develop test programs, and build Python tools to automate life-prediction and data reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years hardware reliability engineering in power electronics, HV systems, or consumer electronics.
• Strong understanding of reliability engineering principles including statistics, data analysis, physics-of-failure, lifetime prediction models, accelerated life testing, and DFMEA.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead product reliability through multiple stages of development.
• Proficiency using statistical analysis tools in Python or equivalent for modeling and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Take independent DfR ownership for existing subsystem reliability and a lead DfR role for future products, focusing on HV electronics, devices, and power conversion.
• Fully develop reliability test programs (DV, PV, ORT) by leading DFMEA, defining mission profiles, analyzing test acceleration, and specifying test requirements.
• Build and contribute to custom Python reliability analysis and modeling tools to automate workflows for life prediction, test design, test/field data, and reporting.
• Define reliability requirements and acceptance criteria at key program milestones and communicate risk and confidence to engineering leadership.
• Develop physics-of-failure lifetime models and perform failure root cause analysis and statistics on test/field data.
• Partner with SIE team and suppliers to verify component quality by overseeing outsourced testing and defining qualification and inspection requirements.
• Collaborate across teams to embed DfR principles into engineering decisions throughout the product cycle.

Skills

Python

Statistics

DFMEA

Leadership

Technical communication

Reliability engineering

Education

Electrical Engineering (B.S./M.S.)

Tools

SEM

X-ray

Job description

About the Role – Staff Reliability Engineer

Peak Energy is looking for a Staff Reliability Engineer to help scale ESS hardware reliability with a focus on HV electronics, devices, and power conversion. You will work cross-functionally to realize industry-leading reliability across all aspects of the product life cycle, from concept development through field deployment.

This role sits at the intersection of design, testing, manufacturing, and field operations — with direct influence on architecture decisions and reliability outcomes that matter most. You will creatively apply reliability expertise in a fast‑paced, hands‑on environment where your work has immediate and measurable impact.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, a proactive ownership mindset, and the ability to think critically and act decisively in a dynamic startup environment.

What You'll Do

• Take independent DfR ownership for existing subsystem reliability and a lead DfR role for future products, with a focus on HV electronics, devices, and power conversion
• Fully develop reliability test programs (DV, PV, ORT) by leading DFMEA, defining mission profiles, analyzing test acceleration, and specifying test requirements
• Build and contribute to custom Python reliability analysis and modeling tools to automate workflows for life prediction, test design, test/field data, and reporting
• Define reliability requirements and acceptance criteria at key program milestones and clearly communicate risk and reliability confidence to engineering leadership
• Develop physics‑of‑failure lifetime models and close the loop by performing failure root cause analysis and statistical analyses of test and field reliability data
• Partner with the SIE team and suppliers to verify component quality by overseeing outsourced testing and defining qualification and inspection requirements
• Collaborate across all teams to embed DfR principles into engineering decisions throughout the product cycle, including early architecture decisions, manufacturing process development, and cost‑down projects

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering in power electronics, high‑voltage systems, or consumer electronics
• Strong understanding of reliability engineering principles including statistics, data analysis, physics‑of‑failure, lifetime prediction models, accelerated life testing, and DFMEA
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead product reliability through multiple stages of development
• Proficiency using statistical analysis tools in Python or equivalent for modeling and data analysis
• Strong documentation and technical communication skills — able to clearly present findings and reliability principles to cross‑functional and leadership teams
• Ability to think critically and act decisively to efficiently grow reliability confidence in a fast‑paced startup environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct reliability experience with high voltage batteries, DC‑DC converters, inverters, battery management systems, or PV solar products
• Hands‑on experience designing, executing, and reporting complex electromechanical reliability tests (HTHE, PTCE, HTOE, HALT, vibration, corrosion)
• Experience with PCBA failure analysis tools such as SEM and X‑ray
• Experience using DOEs, accelerated life testing, and field failure data to develop physics‑based models for design margin analysis and lifetime failure prediction

Peak Energy is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. We value skills, potential, and perspective over specific credentials. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t look perfect on paper, we still want to hear from you.

Our Core Values

• Speed Through Focus – Move fast but understand why. Focus on the goal, don't sacrifice quality.
• Mission Over Self – It's about the greater good; confident humility. Take ownership and accountability.
• Face the Brutal Truth – Transparency, honesty, big picture curiosity. Fearless decision making.
• Be a Good Person – Kindness, collaboration and teamwork.

The salary range for this role is $180,000–$230,000, with actual pay varying based on work location, experience, and skills. Our competitive benefits package includes:

• Flexible time off
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Strong 401(k) plan
• Equity opportunities

Join us to thrive in a supportive environment while making a meaningful impact in the energy sector!

Peak Energy Technologies Inc. is an equal‑opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.