What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Engineer – Reliability & Test Methods, Drive Unit position at lucidmotors?
Lucid Motors is seeking a Staff Engineer – Reliability & Test Methods to provide technical leadership and system‑level ownership for reliability engineering of motor gearboxes, inverters and drive units. This role is critical to ensuring durability, functional safety, and field reliability across current production and future vehicle programs.
At the Staff level, this position goes beyond execution and is responsible for defining reliability strategy, governing test methodologies, influencing design decisions, and driving alignment across engineering, quality, manufacturing, suppliers, and program leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Reliability Strategy & Technical Leadership
- Own and define the reliability strategy for drive unit systems across development, validation, production, and field.
- Establish and govern test methods, mission profiles, damage models, and reliability metrics aligned with real‑world duty cycles.
- Serve as a technical authority for Drive Unit reliability, failure mechanisms, and durability performance.
Test Methods & Validation
- Develop, standardize, and continuously improve test methodologies for mechanical, thermal, environmental, and endurance validation.
- Ensure test coverage is sufficient to demonstrate reliability targets for DV/PV, SOP, and sustained production.
- Guide accelerated life testing, power cycling, and system‑level durability assessments.
Data Analysis & Failure Investigation
- Lead analysis of test, field, and warranty data to identify trends, failure modes, and systemic risks.
- Drive root cause investigations for critical field issues and QUALs, including support for Product Working Safety Group and functional safety reviews.
- Apply advanced reliability techniques such as FMEA, Weibull/statistical analysis, and physics‑of‑failure methods.
Cross‑Functional & Supplier Engagement
- Partner closely with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, and Suppliers to influence robust design and validation decisions.
- Provide reliability guidance during DFMEA, DRs, and change control processes.
- Engage suppliers and external test labs to align on assumptions, inputs, and validation approaches.
Governance, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement
- Represent reliability in Reliability Council, drive unit governance forums, and technical reviews.
- Mentor senior and junior engineers; elevate reliability capability across the organization.
- Drive continuous improvement of reliability processes, test efficiency, and knowledge reuse.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- 8 years of experience in reliability engineering, test methods, or durability validation for electromechanical systems.
- Deep understanding of Drive Unit sub systems, Motors, Inverter, Power Electronics and Gearboxes
- Proven experience defining and executing reliability test strategies at the system level.
- Strong analytical skills with experience in FMEA, Weibull analysis, ALT, and field data correlation.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional technical initiatives and influence without authority.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical topics to varied audiences.
Preferred
- Experience in electric vehicle powertrains, drive units, or high‑performance automotive systems.
- Familiarity with automotive reliability standards, validation practices, and functional safety interfaces
Additional Compensation and Benefits: Lucid offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in Lucid’s equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs. (Cash or equity incentive awards, if any, will depend on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and company performance.)
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