Senior Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Engineer Lead

Senior Staff Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Engineer Lead

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. As a Senior Staff Vehicle Hardware Verification and Validation Engineer Lead, you will define, execute, and ensure the technical integrity of all vehicle-level hardware testing, orchestrating a comprehensive hardware test program across hardware, software, systems, and safety engineering teams.

• 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; execute vehicle‑level tests with internal and external resources.
• Act as the technical leader and subject‑matter expert for all vehicle‑level hardware V&V activities; coordinate execution of firmware, subsystems, and platform integrations such as thermal management, drive‑by‑wire, power, and cleaning.
• Establish and maintain high‑impact working relationships with design, manufacturing, software, operations, and safety teams to align on test requirements, schedules, and deliverables.
• Oversee standardization of data collection, analysis, and documentation of extensive vehicle‑level hardware tests; produce comprehensive technical reports and present concise status updates to senior leadership.
• Drive the development and improvement of internal software test tools for test case execution, data collection, and analysis; support selection of additional hardware and software as needed.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in hardware testing, verification, and validation; at least 2 years in a technical leadership or lead role, within automotive or aerospace industry; experience in autonomous vehicle space advantageous.
• Deep understanding of V&V processes, testing methodologies (statistical analysis, fault injection, hardware‑in‑the‑loop, RCCA, hands‑on problem solving) and development lifecycle for safety‑critical hardware systems.
• Experience using test automation tools and collaborating with software teams to define and deliver relevant software test tools for hardware functional verification.
• Experience with sensing and data collection instrumentation such as accelerometers, strain gauges, force transducers, fleet ops, and data logging equipment.
• Working knowledge of systems engineering practices, requirement management tools (JAMA, JIRA), and latest automotive communication protocols.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment and exceptional written and verbal communication skills for presenting complex technical information to diverse audiences.

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

The base salary range for this position is $189,000 - $274,000 per year, with additional annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. Our commitment to inclusion considers candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law, and provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans.

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