PCBA Reliability Engineer

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver-The World's Most Experienced Driver™-to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.

Hardware Engineering is an innovative and collaborative group of electrical, mechanical, reliability, software and vehicle engineers. We design, build, and perfect the products which are the eyes and ears of Waymo's autonomous driving technology, and integrate those products into vehicle platforms. We're seeking curious and talented teammates to keep us moving in the right direction.

You will:

• Act as the primary Subject Matter Expert on PCB and PCBA quality and reliability across all Waymo Compute and Sensor modules.
• Collaborate with external laboratories and suppliers to secure necessary test chamber and validation resources. Lead test vehicle layout and design for Waymo semi-custom components; establish comprehensive test plans and secure internal or third-party lab resources for execution.
• Oversee manufacturing quality issues across PCB/PCBA suppliers, leading corrective and preventive action (CAPA) initiatives.
• Perform root cause investigations and execute corrective/preventive actions for failures identified during reliability testing of custom components or PCBAs.
• Evaluate DFMEAs to pinpoint high-risk elements, defining risk mitigation strategies through early design modifications or targeted follow-on testing.
• Lead and support systemic process enhancements across both internal and external quality and reliability management systems.

You have:

• Master's degree in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with at least 10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong foundation in reliability systems, including system reliability concepts, failure distributions, and accelerated life modeling.
• In-depth expertise in failure mechanisms associated with electronic packaging, components, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and PCB assemblies (PCBAs).
• Hands-on SMT and PCB manufacturing process expertise, quality control systems, and failure analysis methods (e.g., cross-sectioning, dye and pull).
• Proficiency with industry IPC standards governing PCBs, PCBAs, and electronic components, as well as the ability to interpret electrical schematics and PCB layout files.
• Working knowledge of silicon-level failure mechanisms, thermal and cooling solutions, finite element modeling, and effective cross-functional collaboration.

We prefer:

• Experience with APQP/PPAP processes, ideally within the automotive sector.
• Proficiency in PCB layout and test fixture design.
• Strong electrical debugging skills, along with a thorough understanding of electrical schematics.

Travel requirements:

• 10% travel as needed 

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process. 

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements. 

Salary Range

$177,000—$218,000 USD