Head of Reliability

Blue Water Autonomy•Lexington, MA

118d•Onsite

About The Position

We’re seeking a Head of Reliability to lead quality, reliability, and testing for our autonomous naval vessels. This is a critical leadership role at the intersection of hardware, software, and systems engineering. You’ll collaborate closely with the Head of Engineering and Head of Software to ensure our ships operate reliably in the harshest ocean environments for months at a time. This role is based in our Lexington, MA headquarters, or at our R&D facility located on the South Coast of Massachusetts.. You’ll build reliability and quality systems from the ground up - establishing world-class standards while working within startup constraints.

Requirements

Bring extensive experience in reliability, quality, or test engineering roles with increasing leadership responsibility
Have a proven track record building reliability programs for complex hardware/software systems
Have at least five years of experience with analysis and test of both hardware and software systems
Bring deep experience with FMEA, fault tree analysis, reliability modeling, and accelerated testing
Are comfortable working in resource-constrained environments and making pragmatic tradeoffs
Have background in defense, maritime, aerospace, automotive, or robotics industries
Understand autonomous and safety-critical systems operating in harsh environments
Make sound engineering judgments with incomplete information and adapt quickly
Are data-driven but know when to rely on test results, analysis, or experience
Communicate clearly and effectively across technical and non-technical teams
Are hands-on when needed and thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment

Nice To Haves

Hold an advanced degree in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering
Have experience with maritime systems, naval architecture, or marine engineering
Are familiar with MIL-STD reliability and quality standards
Have worked with AI/ML system validation and testing
Have led reliability programs in early-stage startups or innovation labs
Security clearance

Responsibilities

Define and implement reliability, quality, and testing strategy for autonomous maritime systems
Build and lead a lean, high-performing reliability organization from the ground up
Establish quality gates, test protocols, and reliability metrics that balance rigor with speed
Develop reliability models and failure mode analysis for complex hardware/software systems operating in extreme ocean environments
Design accelerated life testing and environmental testing programs that validate performance under real-world conditions
Working with Engineering, create predictive maintenance strategies for systems that must operate autonomously for extended periods
Build comprehensive test strategies spanning unit, integration, system, and sea trials
Lead root cause analysis and corrective action processes to improve system performance
Develop supplier quality programs and incoming inspection protocols
Establish documentation, traceability, and continuous improvement processes
Collaborate with engineering, software, and operations teams to embed reliability into design, manufacturing, and testing
Interface with customers and regulatory bodies on reliability and quality requirements

Benefits

Incredibly high-caliber teammates - you’ll work directly with our co-founders and technical leads
A mission-driven environment designing technology that protects American lives and democracy
Significant ownership and influence over how reliability and quality are built at scale
A fast-paced, creative culture that values clarity, teamwork, and decisive execution
Equal opportunity employer. All hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the U.S.; we are unable to sponsor or transfer visas
health, dental, vision, PTO
Startup equity options

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