Vehicle Reliability Engineer - Night Shift

Waabi; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity awards

Health and wellness benefits

Paid parental leave

401(k) retirement plans

Job summary

Waabi, a leader in Physical AI, is seeking a testing and reliability professional to identify and diagnose complex vehicle issues during testing and operation. You will leverage hardware/software knowledge to implement temporary fixes while ensuring safety and performance standards are met.

Responsibilities include rigorous documentation, cross-functional collaboration, and contributing to long‑term system improvements. Travel up to 10% and a strong emphasis on RCA and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on experience in automotive, robotics, aerospace, or related industry focusing on troubleshooting complex vehicle systems.
• Proficient with Linux-based systems and command-line diagnostics.
• Solid understanding of computer networking fundamentals.
• Experienced in CAN bus diagnostics and automotive diagnostic tools.
• Strong data analysis capabilities with spreadsheets or scripting languages
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to document technical issues clearly and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify and diagnose issues during vehicle testing and on-road operations.
• Utilize deep technical knowledge of both hardware and software to address failures and anomalies.
• Implement documented temporary fixes or workarounds to keep vehicles operational while permanent solutions are developed.
• Ensure that every applied workaround maintains safety and performance standards.
• Rigorously log, track, and document all vehicle issues using robust diagnostic and issue-tracking systems.
• Provide detailed reports that include reproduction steps, diagnostic data, and recommended actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams—spanning software, hardware, and operations to conduct thorough root cause analyses on recurring issues.
• Translate technical data and observations into actionable insights for long‑term system improvements.
• Recommend and implement process improvements and preventive measures to enhance overall vehicle reliability.
• Participate in both pre-test and post-test evaluations, ensuring vehicles are test-ready and that any issues are promptly addressed.
• Serve as the technical point of contact during vehicle testing
• Identify opportunities to streamline troubleshooting protocols, automate diagnostic routines, and improve data capture methods to boost operational efficiency.
• Experience with continuous improvement (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodologies. Experience with established methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis, or FMEA) to support the responsibility of conducting thorough root cause analyses on recurring issues.
• Functional Safety or Reliability Standards Experience in order to maintain vehicle uptime and safety. Experience maintaining and managing automotive safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, UL 4600), hardware reliability standards, and/or formal quality management systems would be beneficial.
• Travel required 10%

Skills

Linux basics

CAN bus

Data analysis

Networking

Documentation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Eng

Tools

Automotive diagnostics

Job description

Waabi, founded by AI visionary Raquel Urtasun, is the leader in Physical AI. With a world-class team, we’re unlocking the next era of autonomous transportation with technology that’s powering commercial autonomous trucks and robotaxis. Waabi is backed by and partners with world leaders in AI, automotive, logistics, and deep tech.

With offices in Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, and Pittsburgh, Waabi is growing quickly and looking for diverse, innovative and collaborative candidates who want to impact the world in a positive way. To learn more visit: www.waabi.ai

You will…

• Quickly identify and diagnose issues that arise during vehicle testing and on-road operations.
• Utilize deep technical knowledge of both hardware and software to address failures and anomalies.
• Implement documented temporary fixes or workarounds to keep vehicles operational while permanent solutions are developed.
• Ensure that every applied workaround maintains safety and performance standards.
• Rigorously log, track, and document all vehicle issues using robust diagnostic and issue-tracking systems.
• Provide detailed reports that include reproduction steps, diagnostic data, and recommended actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams—spanning software, hardware, and operations to conduct thorough root cause analyses on recurring issues.
• Translate technical data and observations into actionable insights for long‑term system improvements.
• Recommend and implement process improvements and preventive measures to enhance overall vehicle reliability.
• Participate in both pre-test and post-test evaluations, ensuring vehicles are test-ready and that any issues are promptly addressed.
• Serve as the technical point of contact during vehicle testing
• Identify opportunities to streamline troubleshooting protocols, automate diagnostic routines, and improve data capture methods to boost operational efficiency.
• Experience with continuous improvement (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodologies. Experience with established methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis, or FMEA) to support the responsibility of conducting thorough root cause analyses on recurring issues.
• Functional Safety or Reliability Standards Experience in order to maintain vehicle uptime and safety. Experience maintaining and managing automotive safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, UL 4600), hardware reliability standards, and/or formal quality management systems would be beneficial.
• Travel required 10%

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in automotive, robotics, aerospace, or a related industry with a focus on troubleshooting complex vehicle systems.
• Proficient with Linux-based systems and command‑line diagnostics.
• Solid understanding of computer networking fundamentals.
• Experienced in CAN bus diagnostics and the use of automotive diagnostic tools.
• Strong data analysis capabilities with familiarity in using spreadsheets or scripting languages
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to document technical issues clearly and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering (or related field) or equivalent hands‑on experience.

Shift Hours:

• Current shift hours at 11pm to 7:30am and subject to change to support business needs.

Perks/Benefits:

Waabi provides a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive compensation and equity awards.
• Health and wellness benefits encompassing Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• Paid parental, medical and family care leave.
• Generous PTO Policy.
• Retirement savings plans including 401(k) or RRSP options.
• Health savings account contribution options.
• Daily drinks, snacks, and catered meals (when in office).
• Regularly scheduled team building activities and social events both on‑site, off‑site & virtually.
• Additional benefits are offered and tailored to specific country locations.
• As we grow, this list continues to evolve!

Waabi is a technology start-up building technologies to transform the way the world moves. Join our talented team to be a part of the future and to make an impact!

Waabi is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive, and accessible workplace for all our employees. We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, age, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military or veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, caregiver status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. We make workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please let our recruiting team know.