Senior Systems Engineer - Hardware Systems

Who we are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

What we are looking for

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.

We’re searching for a Systems Engineer in the Hardware Systems and Safety Organization. Aurora’s Systems Engineers work closely with product and engineering design teams to develop implementable design concepts and requirements. Collaboration and teamwork are essential for bringing various stakeholders together, and guide implementation decisions across different disciplines. The successful candidate will be a self-starter and able to work independently, learn, tailor and execute processes, and perform in a collaborative environment.

In this role you will

• Field & Fleet Triage Expertise: Ability to apply strong analytical and system level troubleshooting skills. Specifically, execute troubleshooting from symptoms to possible causes by seeking out and examining / interpreting the right information to provide system context.

• Lead End-to-End Field Investigations: Hands-on leadership to drive complex technical investigations of vehicle fleet behaviors from initial bug escalation through root-cause analysis and remediation, including power distribution, thermal, sensor cleaning, external HMI, emergency signaling, audio, telematics, and associated mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic interfaces.

• Investigative Test Design & Execution: Formulate and conduct tests to replicate anomalies observed in the field within controlled settings, leveraging closed-course evaluations, fault injection, Hardware-in-the-Loop setups, and custom diagnostic instruments.

• Remediation Strategy Development & Deployment: Formulate and roll out short term containment measures and long term corrective actions for that could take the form of firmware adjustments, system architecture updates, or operational control refinements as applicable. This includes running corrective actions through the change control process at Aurora and making requirements updates in Aurora’s requirements data base.

• Scalable Sustaining Processes: Partner with adjacent teams to streamline existing workflows for bug escalation, field diagnostics, and root cause analysis to scale sustaining capabilities across fleet growth.

• Production & EOL Support: Take the lead for investigating end of line issues found at the production facility around thermal, power, cleaning, HMI, audio sub systems. Ensure a clear handoff to production once root cause is confirmed.

• HIL Test Bench Troubleshooting: Build automated test scripts and run HIL bench diagnostics to troubleshoot subsystem issues early, minimizing dependency on vehicle-level testing

• Travel to Aurora Operations locations: Travel to locations where field issues are discovered for the purpose of investigation. (30% of total time)

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical or Aerospace or Mechatronics or Computer Science Engineering and a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree and a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience

• 2+ years of industry experience in systems engineering

• 2+ years of industry experience in system test planning and execution (verification and validation)

• Strong organizational abilities to drive and manage field issues end to end

• Strong communication skills to effectively coordinate with local and remote teams and quickly drive issue resolution

Desirable Qualifications

• Complex System Troubleshooting: Proven expertise in diagnosing issues related to system interactions on automated vehicles or other robotic systems.

  • Using hand held diagnostic equipment such as multimeters, o-scopes etc.

  • Using laptop based industry standard diagnostic service equipment - Cummins Insite, Eaton Service Ranger, International Diamond Builder, KB Diag etc.

  • Setting up and deploying data acquisition devices for both analog (current, voltage, temp) and digital (CAN Logging) domains,

• AI-Powered Data Crunching & Rapid Triage: Proficiency in analyzing large amounts of data from different sources (autonomy logs, telematics and diagnostic tools, CAN traces, operator statements, etc) to reconstruct event sequences during failures and identify correlations within the system and across the fleet. Ability to leverage enterprise AI tools and custom AI workflows/skills to accelerate complex data crunching, streamline root cause analysis, and speed up system triage.

• Automotive System Architecture: In depth knowledge of automotive and commercial vehicle communication networks and standards (J1939 CAN, LIN), including physical layer and application layer implementation and troubleshooting. Knowledge of common automotive power generation and distribution architectures and components.

• Architecture Analysis: Understanding of common cause and cascading faults, as well as fault tolerant and fail-operational architectures intended to mitigate them.

• Requirement Translation: Ability to convert investigation findings into clear, verifiable engineering requirements and updated analyses (e.g. FMEAs)

• Validation of Field Mitigations: Experience creating test plans for validating fixes on system benches (HIL) and on vehicles.

• Technical Communication: Skill in synthesizing high-density log data and engineering analysis into clear, executive-level summaries that drive critical operational decisions.

• Collaborative Problem Solving: Ability to aggregate findings for sharing with partners or suppliers in order to enable internal investigation and/or justify change requests.

The base salary range for this position is $135,000-$196,000 per year. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.

We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy, and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, Aurorans are expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week, with some roles requiring more frequent in-office presence, up to 5 days per week, based on operational needs.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusion

Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.