Senior Harness Engineer

Atoms•San Francisco, CA

16h•$139,000 - $172,000•Onsite

About The Position

Atoms is seeking a Senior Harness Engineer to own wire harnesses for its on-road autonomous vehicles from design through fabrication and quality. The role spans electrical architecture and schematics, released drawing packages, fabrication, testing, installation, and inspection across vehicle platforms and hardware revisions. The position is hands-on, based in the garage and on the build floor, and includes work with harness manufacturing partners. The engineer will design harnesses connecting vehicle sensors, compute, power distribution, and interfaces; produce complete manufacturing documentation; define and verify vehicle routing; build prototypes; and coordinate first articles and production releases. They will establish fabrication instructions, inspection criteria, and end-of-line testing; manage configuration and engineering changes; investigate build-floor and fleet failures; qualify components and assemblies for vehicle conditions; support vehicle builds and bring-up; and standardize harness components with partner teams. The position is based onsite at Atoms’ San Francisco office five days per week, with regular work in the garage and on the build floor and travel to manufacturing partners and test sites. The role requires lifting up to 50 pounds and working at roof level and under vehicles, with or without reasonable accommodation. The base salary range is $139,000–$172,000 per year. Eligible employees may also receive equity awards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Aerospace Engineering, or a related field; equivalent hands-on experience may substitute for the degree.
At least 5 years designing and releasing wire harnesses for vehicles, aircraft, or robotic systems in automotive, autonomous vehicle, aerospace, or commercial vehicle programs, including taking harnesses from concept through production release.
Experience producing complete, buildable harness documentation in an electrical design tool such as Capital or Zuken E3.series, with 3D routing in CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent.
Working knowledge of wire, terminal, connector, seal, and circuit-protection selection; grounding and shielding practices; and commonly used sealed automotive connector systems.
Hands-on ability to fabricate and rework harnesses, including cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, splicing, shielding, loom and overbraid work, labeling, and continuity testing.
Working knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 and crimp validation methods, including pull testing, crimp-height measurement, and cross-sectioning.
Experience working with a contract harness manufacturer on DFM, first articles, quality issues, and engineering changes.
Knowledge of vehicle network and interface fundamentals as applied to harness design, including CAN and CAN FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, and high-speed sensor links such as GMSL or FPD-Link, including twisted-pair, shield, and termination requirements.
Experience with a PLM or PDM system and engineering change processes, including effectivity and cut-in for hardware already in the field.
Working knowledge of structured problem-solving methods for build and field failures, including 8D, 5 Whys, fishbone, and FMEA.
Clear written communication for drawings, work instructions, failure reports, and supplier correspondence.
Ability to work onsite five days a week in San Francisco, regularly in the garage and on the build floor, and travel to manufacturing partners and test sites.
Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work at roof level and under vehicles, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Responsibilities

Design wire harnesses for on-road vehicles, including circuit allocation, wire and terminal selection, connectors and seals, splices, circuit protection, grounding, and shielding.
Create and release complete harness documentation, including schematics, harness and formboard drawings, pinouts, wire lists, BOMs, manufacturing drawings, and verified 3D routing and lengths.
Define harness routing, retention, protection, and service loops; verify fit, bend radius, clearance, and strain relief during first installation of new designs.
Build and test prototype harnesses in-house and manage first-article builds and production releases with manufacturing partners, including DFM and DFA reviews, tooling and formboard requirements, and lead-time planning.
Develop and maintain fabrication work instructions, inspection criteria, and end-of-line test procedures through engineering changes.
Ensure harness workmanship meets IPC/WHMA-A-620; validate crimps, inspect purchased harnesses, and conduct continuity and hipot testing before release to the build floor.
Manage harness variants and configurations across vehicle platforms and hardware revisions; process PLM engineering changes with effectivity and cut-in defined for vehicles in build and in the fleet.
Investigate harness issues from builds and the fleet, establish root causes with technicians and integration engineers, and drive corrective actions with design teams or manufacturing partners through verification.
Qualify harness components and assemblies for vehicle environmental conditions, including connector sealing, temperature, vibration, and chemical exposure; document design rules and an approved component list.
Support vehicle builds and bring-up, including harness installation, debugging power and network faults, and making rework and repair decisions.
Standardize connectors, terminals, and harness components with electrical, mechanical, and supply-chain teams, considering cost, availability, and serviceability.
Travel to harness manufacturing partners and test sites as needed.