Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer

What we are looking for

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.

In this role you will

• 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

Desirable qualifications

• 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.