Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer
About The Position
Samsara’s Hardware Reliability team works to deliver reliable hardware, identify product performance opportunities, and resolve issues across teams. The Senior Hardware Reliability Engineer designs quality processes and implements comprehensive reliability strategies across the product development lifecycle, from concept through warranty repair. The role aggregates and analyzes test, field-performance, and manufacturing data to drive actions with internal teams and suppliers and ensure high-quality products. This is an on-site position at Samsara’s San Francisco (SF9) office and labs, with regular hands-on lab work. The engineer plans and executes reliability tests, works with the lab and product design teams, and collaborates closely with hardware, firmware, operations, manufacturing, support, JDM partners, vendors, and third-party labs. The role also champions Samsara’s cultural principles: Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, and Win as a Team.
Requirements
- MS or PhD in Engineering, Material Science, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- At least 5 years of experience working in a Hardware Reliability Engineer role.
- Hands-on experience planning and executing laboratory reliability tests, including stress, fatigue, vibration and shock, thermal cycling, HALT, electrical stress, and environmental stress such as ingress protection, UV, and chemical or wash exposure.
- Experience with failure-analysis methodologies.
- Understanding of the physics of failure and how applied stresses relate to underlying failure mechanisms.
- Experience with Design for Reliability concepts.
- Experience with the JDM development model.
- Experience overseeing third-party testing and executing tests.
- Self-motivated, proactive, creative, and capable of critical problem-solving.
- Demonstrated ownership and a hands-on, driver mindset, including personally running tests, working in the lab, and taking issues to closure with minimal direction.
- Ability to work through ambiguity and tailor test plans to program risks and schedules.
- Ability to work on-site at the San Francisco (SF9) office and labs.
Responsibilities
- Work cross-functionally with Hardware and Firmware Engineering, Operations, and Support to ensure a high-quality customer product experience.
- Design reliability into the product development process and own product reliability modeling, testing, and validation.
- Set reliability requirements and allocate reliability targets to subsystems.
- Lead product quality investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions with internal teams and external vendors.
- Evaluate and investigate defect trends to improve incoming material and outgoing product quality.
- Identify corrective actions and continuous-improvement opportunities through field-failure investigations.
- Create feedback loops to improve products in the field and future product generations.
- Set up test fixtures, execute reliability tests, provide lab support at SF9, and keep testing on schedule with the lab team.
- Tailor reliability test plans to each program’s risks and coordinate with Product Design, Firmware, Manufacturing, JDM partners, and third-party labs to close findings quickly.
- Champion and role-model Samsara’s cultural principles.
Benefits
- Initial RSU grant with no vesting cliff and ongoing refresh opportunities tied to performance, subject to plan terms and conditions.
- Performance-based bonus or variable pay and equity for eligible roles.
- Professional development stipend.
- Comprehensive health plans.
- Parental leave plans.
- Flexible, employee-led remote model, where aligned with operational requirements.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
