{"id":760307,"url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-hardware-test-engineer","title":"Hardware Test Engineer","company":{"id":669730,"name":"Afference","domain":"afference.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/afference","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":3,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"junior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Cleveland, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":100000,"max":110000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":110000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Physical AI","optional":false},{"name":"Verification & Validation","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-15T17:03:50Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-07-15","last_verified_at":"2026-11-07T11:11:01Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":114,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":114},"description":"About Our Work\nWe are neuroscientists who build ground-breaking technology for the spatial computing era. We stimulate nerves to create artificial tactile sensations, creating new, more meaningful connections to the user for notifications, 3D digital content, physical AI, health information, and beyond. Our first products will be mobile, wearable devices that stream haptic data from multiple digital sources to create meaningful sensations of touch.\nWhat You'll Be Doing\nThe Hardware Test Engineer is responsible for supporting the development, validation, and optimization of wearable haptic technology products through comprehensive hardware testing and analysis. This role develops and executes hardware verification and validation protocols, performs system-level troubleshooting, and ensures product performance, reliability, and quality throughout the product development lifecycle.\nKey Responsibilities\nDevelop, maintain, and execute hardware validation and verification test plans for wearable haptic devices and subsystems\n\nPerform functional, electrical, environmental, reliability, and system-level testing on prototypes and production hardware\n\nDiagnose hardware failures, identify root causes, and collaborate with development teams to implement corrective actions\n\nDesign and improve testing methodologies, automation strategies, and troubleshooting procedures to support product quality and development efficiency\n\nWork closely with Electrical Engineering, Firmware, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Product teams to align testing priorities with project timelines and business objectives\n\nSupport vendor evaluation and component qualification activities through technical testing and performance analysis\n\nDocument test procedures, test results, defect reports, and engineering recommendations in a clear and organized manner\n\nAnalyze test data and provide technical recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders\n\nAssist in defining quality standards and validation criteria for wearable hardware systems\n\nEnsure compliance with internal engineering standards, safety requirements, and applicable regulatory considerations\n\nContribute technical leadership in hardware testing initiatives affecting product execution and organizational strategy\n\nOther duties as assigned\n\nWhat You'll Need for This Position\nEducation\nBachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field\n\nMust-Have Skills & Experience\n2-5 years of experience in hardware development, hardware testing, engineering validation, or related technology environments\n\nProficient in troubleshooting electronic systems, embedded hardware, or wearable technology platforms\n\nFamiliarity with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, power supplies, and environmental testing equipment\n\nStrong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.\n\nAbility to work independently on complex technical objectives with guidance from senior leadership\n\nExperience with haptic systems, wearable electronics, sensors, embedded systems, or consumer hardware products.\n\nExposure to automated test systems, scripting, or data analysis tools\n\nExperience supporting EVT/DVT/PVT phases of hardware product development\n\nKnowledge of reliability testing, failure analysis, and manufacturing test methodologies\n\nAbility to evaluate emerging technologies and apply them effectively\n\nStrong analytical and problem-solving skills\n\nExcellent communication skills\n\nWhat's in It for You\nWork closely with cutting-edge technology. You'll be hands-on with novel neural haptic technology that's defining the future of spatial computing and immersive experiences.\nWork in a close-knit, startup environment. We strive to create an intellectually stimulating and collegial working environment. Our energy for inventing, creating, and learning spans work and play: we have regular happy hours, plan field trips, play games, play music, and generally have a good time.\nAn early employee experience. We are an early-stage deep tech startup company that requires all members to contribute across the entire business. On any given day, there will be new challenges and new demands to propel the business forward. We expect all employees to be able to dive into any new challenges that present themselves, even if they are beyond the job description above. If your are driven by the desire to see success and to create new tech not seen by the world previously, you will fit right in to the team's culture.\nCompensation & Benefits\nAfference is committed to providing the sense of touch for the evolution of the human connection to technology and the future of the digital experience. We are leading this effort through deep science and technology, which provides unique experiences compared to classical haptic technologies. Our lean team of experts demands a high level of excellence but can compensate with the commensurate upside potential of an early-growth startup in a high-growth sector of extended reality.\nCompensation offers depend on skills, qualifications, and experience, and range between:\n$100,000 to $110,000 per year at 100% FTE\nBenefits include:\nMedical, dental vision, life, STD, FSA, additional company perks\n\nEquity incentives\n\nSelf-managed PTO\n\nLocation: On-site; Cleveland, OH office","description_format":"text","description_chars":5370,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":2,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Virtual & Augmented Reality"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T18:21:41Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":8,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.279,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":114,"expected_fill_days":29,"reasons":["conf:2","win:tail","crowd:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":110000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-hardware-test-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-hardware-test-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-07T13:23:25Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":16111,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-08T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":669730},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=669730"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fafference-hardware-test-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fafference-hardware-test-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fafference-hardware-test-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/afference-hardware-test-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fafference-hardware-test-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":760307}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"afference.io","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":760307},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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