Senior Staff Test Engineer - Reliability

Apptronik•Austin, TX

About The Position

Apptronik is seeking a Senior Staff Test Engineer - Reliability to define, test, and demonstrate the reliability of complex electromechanical systems. The role sets reliability targets, allocates top-level MTBF goals to subsystems and components, determines the testing needed to demonstrate those goals, and focuses testing on areas of greatest risk. This is a technical leadership position that directs and advises engineers on test plans, methods, and rigor. The engineer leads root-cause investigations across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains and operates a closed-loop failure reporting process that returns test, manufacturing, and field data to design. The role partners with design, manufacturing, and quality teams and communicates reliability risks, test investment tradeoffs, and progress toward MTBF targets to engineering and program leadership. Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots, including Apollo, a humanoid robot designed to work with people. The company is focused on bringing Apollo to market at scale for applications including manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare and the home.

Requirements

Experience leading reliability programs for complex electromechanical products.
Experience allocating top-level MTBF targets to subsystem and component targets.
Experience planning test sample size, duration, and confidence levels to demonstrate reliability targets.
Hands-on experience designing and conducting life, accelerated, HALT/HASS, thermal, and environmental reliability testing.
Ability to interpret test results using statistical methods such as Weibull analysis and reliability growth models.
Demonstrated ability to lead root-cause investigations across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains and drive corrective actions to closure.
Experience operating a failure reporting system (FRACAS).
Experience technically leading and mentoring engineers, directing their test plans, and advising on test methods and rigor.
Ability to communicate reliability risks and tradeoffs to leadership.
BS in Engineering or a related field and 15 years of relevant experience, or MS and 13 years, or PhD and 12 years.

Responsibilities

Define reliability targets and the product reliability roadmap.
Allocate top-level MTBF targets to subsystem and component targets.
Influence design through design reviews, derating guidance, and component and supplier qualification.
Lead and advise engineers on reliability test plans, methods, and rigor.
Determine sample size, test duration, and confidence levels needed to demonstrate MTBF targets.
Focus testing on high-risk components and subsystems, including life, stress, HALT/HASS, thermal, and environmental testing.
Lead root-cause investigations of failures arising in testing, manufacturing, and the field, and coach engineers through analysis.
Operate a closed-loop failure reporting system (FRACAS) that feeds field and returns data back into design.
Guide development of life and failure-rate models, including Weibull analysis, FMEA inputs, fault trees, and reliability block diagrams.
Roll component test results into system-level MTBF estimates with confidence bounds.
Track reliability growth against MTBF targets over time.
Mentor and develop engineers, partner with design, manufacturing, and quality teams, and communicate reliability risks, test investment tradeoffs, and progress toward MTBF targets to leadership.