Senior Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer

Senior Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer

Requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in reliability engineering for complex hardware systems.
• Extensive experience with reliability engineering principles, including component derating, FMEA/DFMEA, and Coffin-Manson analysis for fatigue prediction.
• Proficiency in reliability testing methods such as HALT, HASS, vibration, and thermal cycling.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems, electronic components (PCBAs, motor controllers), sensors, and materials science.
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities, capable of working with cross-disciplinary teams and suppliers.
• Proven ability to lead RCA efforts, implement corrective actions, and drive reliability improvements.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (Master’s or PhD preferred).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive reliability engineering strategy for hardware systems, with a focus on actuators, motor controllers, PCBAs, sensors, limbs, and end effectors.
• Establish and maintain reliability metrics, goals, and test protocols for each product lifecycle stage, from design to production.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (mechanical, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing) to integrate reliability principles into design and development processes.
• Design reliability testing approaches that extract meaningful insights from small sample sizes.
• Apply component derating principles to ensure hardware components operate well within their rated limits, improving system reliability and longevity.
• Analyze thermal, electrical, and mechanical stresses to identify potential failure points and recommend design adjustments.
• Perform Coffin-Manson fatigue analysis to predict the lifecycle of materials and components under cyclic thermal and mechanical loading.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for hardware failures, implementing corrective actions and preventative measures.
• Develop and oversee reliability testing plans, including Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS), vibration testing, and environmental stress testing.
• Analyze field data, prototype testing results, and production feedback to identify trends and drive improvements.
• Validate critical hardware components, including actuators, motor controllers, sensors, and PCBAs, through rigorous testing and analysis.
• Drive Design for Reliability (DfR) methodologies, including FMEA, DFMEA, stress analysis, and reliability growth modeling.
• Partner with suppliers to verify the reliability and quality of sourced components, ensuring alignment with design and reliability standards.
• Identify and implement design and process improvements to enhance product reliability, reduce failure rates, and improve durability.
• Contribute to the development of reliability standards, documentation, and best practices to guide future hardware development.
• Provide reliability reports, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders, including engineering leadership and executive teams.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers, fostering a strong culture of reliability across the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong preference for candidates with experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or other high-reliability industries.