Director, Hardware Reliability Engineering

Exol•Wilmington, MA

1d•$224,000 - $308,000•Hybrid

About The Position

With its A.I.-powered robotic technology platform, Symbotic is changing the way consumer goods move through the supply chain. Intelligent software orchestrates advanced robots in a high-density, end-to-end system – reinventing warehouse automation for increased efficiency, speed and flexibility. We are seeking an accomplished and strategic Director, Hardware Reliability Engineering to lead the reliability function for our next-generation robotic automation platforms. This role is critical to ensuring the long-term durability, robustness, and safety of complex electromechanical systems deployed in high-volume industrial environments. The ideal candidate brings deep experience from the automotive industry, including a strong command of hardware validation processes, reliability standards, and ﬁeld quality strategies. This role requires both technical credibility and leadership skills to embed reliability into product development, inﬂuence design decisions, and drive cross-functional execution.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering, or a related technical ﬁeld.
Minimum 10 years of hardware reliability and validation experience in the automotive industry, including a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role.
Proven success applying automotive reliability standards and practices to electromechanical systems, ideally involving embedded electronics, motion systems, or safety-critical components.
Strong knowledge of automotive-grade testing methodologies: thermal cycling, vibration, HALT/HASS, corrosion, ingress protection, mechanical fatigue, and electrical overstress.
Experience with reliability tools: DFMEA, FTA, Weibull analysis, ReliaSoft, Minitab.
Skilled at working across functional boundaries and managing reliability through the full V-model development process.
Strong technical communication and executive reporting skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with robotic automation systems or complex capital equipment.
Familiarity with vehicle integration challenges, CAN/LIN protocols, and mechatronic systems.
Functional safety expertise (ISO 26262, IEC 61508) or prior work on safety-related components.
CRE (Certiﬁed Reliability Engineer), Six Sigma certiﬁcation, or equivalent credentials.
Experience scaling reliability processes in a high-growth or product commercialization environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of our end-to-end hardware reliability strategy for robotic systems, from early-stage design to post-deployment ﬁeld performance.
Build and manage a multidisciplinary team of reliability engineers, test engineers, and lab personnel.
Apply automotive-grade reliability practices to robotic systems, including DFMEA, design margin analysis, and validation planning aligned with ISO, SAE, and AEC-Q standards.
Oversee accelerated life testing, stress testing, and environmental validation for key components and assemblies (e.g., motors, actuators, sensors, PCBs, harnesses, structural elements).
Deﬁne and enforce reliability requirements, targets, and KPIs that are traceable throughout the product lifecycle.
Collaborate with Product Design, Systems, and Manufacturing teams to ensure that reliability goals are integrated into architecture, component selection, and design reviews.
Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) processes for both development-stage failures and in-ﬁeld issues.
Leverage ﬁeld data, return analysis, and warranty trends to inform reliability growth programs and continuous improvement.
Serve as the organizational subject matter expert on automotive reliability standards, including ISO 16750, AEC-Q100/Q200, and functional safety frameworks such as ISO 26262.
Communicate program status, risks, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and key stakeholders.