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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer - **Company:** Waymo LLC - **Location:** Mountain View, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $210,000.0 - $259,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Failure Mode Effects Analysis, Reliability of Systems, Lidar - **Published:** August 12, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=4bce2798787dafcc ## About the Role * Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or Physics * 10 years of experience in end to end management of reliability programs for complex electromechanical systems * Experience in delivering on the reliability of 1-2 generations of products, from concept & prototyping, to production ramp and field deployment. * Experience in managing the DFMEA or other risk analysis process across a product line. * Extensive experience developing comprehensive reliability test plans, resolving complex failure analyses, and leading root-cause resolution across functions. * Strong technical background in the mechanics of materials and physics of failure for electronics and sensors. We prefer: * PhD Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or Physics * 15 years of experience, as a manager, directing the reliability program at CMs, ODMs or international vendors and suppliers for electronic components and sub-systems * Experience in OEM automotive, Tier-1 suppliers, autonomous vehicle or sensor domain reliability * Experience in managing a reliability test lab with thermal, vibration and environmental test equipment * Product development and launch experience across multiple independent, high-volume hardware product categories. * Strong mentorship skills with a track record of driving technical leadership within a team ## Description This role will report to a Manager of Hardware Reliability Engineering. You will: * Lead the reliability program for a Waymo hardware product area (e.g. LiDAR) across its full lifecycle from early development and prototyping, through EVT - DVT - PVT - production ramp and field deployment * Define and improve reliability processes, including risk analyses (DFMEA, FTA), design verification, test and failure analysis, and cross-functional optimizations * Work closely with US-based and international CMs, ODMs and Tier-1s to develop reliability test and validation programs that meet Waymo's standards of reliability * Develop, communicate, and maintain long-term reliability roadmaps and strategies for your product area. Work collaboratively with TPMs to build reliability schedules and take responsibility for all deliverables while updating senior engineering leadership * Provide technical evaluations and strategic recommendations on designs, processes, materials and vendor selection to teams within the Waymo Engineering, and navigate complex vendor relationships * Manage program-level risks related to complex, multi-dimensional reliability issues and play a key role in mitigate those risks ## Related Videos - [How to develop an autonomous car end-to-end: Robotic Drive and the mobility revolution](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/22-how-to-develop-an-autonomous-car-end-to-end-robotic-drive-and-the-mobility-revolution) - [Automated Driving - Why is it so hard to introduce](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/628-automated-driving-why-is-it-so-hard-to-introduce) - [What Production Knows: Closing the Loop Between AI Agents and the Systems They Build](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100277-what-production-knows-closing-the-loop-between-ai-agents-and-the-systems-they-build) - [Designing Reliable Distributed Systems: Failures, Retries & Idempotency](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1963-designing-reliable-distributed-systems-failures-retries-idempotency) - [Remote Driving on Plant Grounds with State-of-the-Art Cloud Technologies](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/251-remote-driving-on-plant-grounds-with-state-of-the-art-cloud-technologies) - [From Space to Software: Reliability Lessons 40 Years After Challenger](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100283-from-space-to-software-reliability-lessons-40-years-after-challenger) ## Related Articles - [How software is steering vehicle technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/515-how-software-is-steering-vehicle-technology) - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [From developer to manager – what does it take to become an engineering manager?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/42-from-developer-to-manager-what-does-it-take-to-become-an-engineering-manager) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Top Characteristics of a Software Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/166-top-characteristics-of-a-software-engineer)