Senior Staff Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Engineer Lead

Aurora Innovation•Mountain View, CA

About The Position

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. We’re searching for a Senior Staff Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Engineer Lead . As the Senior Staff Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Lead, you will be responsible for defining, executing, and ensuring the technical integrity of all vehicle-level hardware testing. This crucial role involves orchestrating a comprehensive and intricate hardware test program, necessitating close collaboration with hardware, software, systems, and safety engineering teams. You will establish and enhance organizational standards for test execution and documentation. Furthermore, you will guide cross-functional engineering groups to guarantee the rigorous verification and validation of Aurora’s advanced hardware systems across all autonomous vehicle programs. In this role you will Strategy & Execution for Vehicle hardware V&V: Define, develop, and implement comprehensive test strategies and methodologies for autonomous hardware integrations and associated vehicle platform hardware, including design verification, system integration testing, and environmental verification. Work with internal resources and outside test facilities to execute vehicle level tests. Technical Leadership: Act as the technical leader and subject matter expert for all vehicle level hardware V&V activities. You will be coordinating execution of vehicle level testing across all test owners of autonomous sub-systems and platform integrations including thermal management, drive-by-wire, power subsystems, and cleaning. You will align technical experts across these systems to execute on EMC, structural, and thermal testing. You will drive and set priority for critical root-cause analysis of complex system failures, ensuring robust corrective actions with cross-functional buy-in. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Establish and maintain high-impact working relationships with design, manufacturing, software, operations and safety teams to align on test requirements, schedules, and deliverables. Data & Reporting: Oversee the standardisation of data collection, analysis, and documentation of extensive vehicle level hardware tests. Create comprehensive technical reports and present clear, concise status updates and results to senior leadership. Tools & Infrastructure: Drive the process of defining and improving internal software test tools for test case execution, data collection, and analysis. Support the development and/or selection of additional data collection hardware and software for test execution.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in hardware testing, verification, and validation, with at least 2 years in a technical leadership or lead role, within the automotive or aerospace industry.
Experience in the Autonomous vehicle space would be advantageous.
Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of V&V processes, testing methodologies (e.g., statistical analysis, fault injection, hardware in the loop, RCCA process, hands on problem solving), and the development lifecycle for safety-critical hardware systems.
Technical Skills: Experience with utilizing test automation tools, and can speak to the challenges of working with software development teams to define and deliver relevant software test tools for hardware functional verification.
Experience with sensing and data collection. E.g. accelerometers, strain gauges, force transducers, fleet ops, data logging equipment and signal conditioning
Working knowledge of systems engineering practices and methodologies
Use of engineering programs for requirement management and work tracking (JAMA, JIRA)
Working experience with the latest automotive communication protocols
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for presenting complex technical information to diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience with vehicle durability testing
Experience with hardware module testing
Experience with hardware reliability
Proficiency in programming for test automation (e.g., Python, C++)

Responsibilities

Strategy & Execution for Vehicle hardware V&V: Define, develop, and implement comprehensive test strategies and methodologies for autonomous hardware integrations and associated vehicle platform hardware, including design verification, system integration testing, and environmental verification.
Work with internal resources and outside test facilities to execute vehicle level tests.
Technical Leadership: Act as the technical leader and subject matter expert for all vehicle level hardware V&V activities.
Coordinate execution of vehicle level testing across all test owners of autonomous sub-systems and platform integrations including thermal management, drive-by-wire, power subsystems, and cleaning.
Align technical experts across these systems to execute on EMC, structural, and thermal testing.
Drive and set priority for critical root-cause analysis of complex system failures, ensuring robust corrective actions with cross-functional buy-in.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Establish and maintain high-impact working relationships with design, manufacturing, software, operations and safety teams to align on test requirements, schedules, and deliverables.
Data & Reporting: Oversee the standardisation of data collection, analysis, and documentation of extensive vehicle level hardware tests.
Create comprehensive technical reports and present clear, concise status updates and results to senior leadership.
Tools & Infrastructure: Drive the process of defining and improving internal software test tools for test case execution, data collection, and analysis.
Support the development and/or selection of additional data collection hardware and software for test execution.