Hardware Reliability Engineer
US$180,000 – US$220,000 / yr base salary
Posted 8 Oct 2026
Advertised as “Hardware Reliability Engineer Technical Lead”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 10+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$180,000 – US$220,000 / yr |
|---|
Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.
We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions
About the role
We are seeking a Hardware Reliability Engineer Technical Lead to build and scale our hardware reliability function from the ground up (a true 0 to 1 opportunity). In this high-impact role, you will define product reliability requirements, establish rigorous test strategies, and drive end-to-end execution across high-reliability industries—including automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, and agriculture.
As the technical authority for hardware reliability, you will lead cross-functional alignment, manage third-party testing partners, and work directly with external enterprise customers to guarantee our hardware operates flawlessly in the world’s toughest environments. As our product portfolio and team scale, this role offers a direct trajectory into broader engineering leadership.
At Applied Intuition, you will:
-
Build from 0 to 1: Architect, establish, and mature the company-wide Hardware Reliability Engineering function, including processes, frameworks, standards, and lab/supplier capabilities.
-
Define Test Strategies & Standards: Establish hardware reliability requirements, HALT/ALT protocols, environmental stress testing (thermal, vibration, ingress, shock, ESD), and failure criteria tailored to harsh heavy-duty and defense environments.