Staff Systems Engineer - Reliability

JOB SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to lead hardware reliability efforts for our humanoid robots. This role is critical to ensuring the performance, safety, and durability of our products throughout their lifecycle. Leveraging your deep expertise in reliability engineering, you will lead efforts to establish reliability standards, conduct advanced analyses, and drive improvements across key hardware components and systems.  This position is based out of Apptronik's Austin Headquarters.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

• 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.
• Efficient Testing & Analysis: Ability to design reliability testing approaches that extract meaningful insights from small sample sizes, as large, statistically significant sample sizes (30+ units) are typically not available at our current stage of production. Must leverage statistical methods, engineering judgment, and accelerated testing techniques to drive data-informed decisions.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers, fostering a strong culture of reliability across the organization.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• 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.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: 

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in reliability engineering for complex hardware systems.
• Strong preference for candidates with experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or other high-reliability industries.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer 
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times 
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen 
• Hearing and speech to communicate

Perks:

• Competitive salary w/ benefits
• Highly motivating equity incentive package
• Flexible work hours policy
• Professional development opportunities
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401k plan