Sustaining Engineer
Onsite in Foster City, CA | 5 days in office
Minimal domestic travel required
About the Role
As a Sustaining Engineer, you will support the L3 test fleet by resolving issues across both OEM vehicle systems and integrated AV hardware. This role requires broad ownership across electrical and mechanical systems, with a strong focus on execution and fleet impact.
You will drive end-to-end resolution of field and manufacturing issues, from root cause through solution development, validation, release, and implementation into the manufacturing line and service fleet. You will work closely with Serviceability & Manufacturing Engineering and cross-functional partners to ensure solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with Design for Service (DFS) and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) requirements.
Your work will directly improve fleet uptime, reduce downtime drivers, and improve reliability metrics such as MTBF.
Responsibilities
- Own sustaining engineering support and corrective action development for the Level 3 Toyota Highlander test and mapping fleet across OEM vehicle systems and integrated AV hardware, from root cause confirmation through fleet-wide implementation
- Drive end-to-end resolution of vehicle and AV system issues, including diagnosis, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, solution development, validation, release, and implementation into the service fleet
- Lead design updates and improvements for AV and Toyota components and subsystems to improve reliability, durability, fleet availability, and serviceability across electrical and mechanical systems
- Author and manage Engineering Change Requests and Change Actions, develop and execute validation and test plans, and lead fleet trials to verify long-term effectiveness of implemented changes
- Support retrofit campaigns, rework activities, installation trials, and field failure triage, partnering with service, test, and operations teams to restore vehicles to service quickly and effectively
- Partner with suppliers, Manufacturing, and Serviceability Engineering to deliver durable, manufacturable, and serviceable solutions that meet DFS and DFM requirements
- Apply fleet data, technician feedback, and reliability metrics such as MTBF and repeat failure trends to prioritize work, validate corrective actions, and prevent recurrence
Requirements
- BS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline; MS preferred
- 5+ years of experience in electrical and mechanical systems engineering within a product development, manufacturing, or sustaining environment
- Demonstrated ability to deliver subsystem-level reliability or serviceability improvements using root cause analysis, DFMEA, and validation testing
- Hands-on experience using tools such as Python, SQL, Vector CANalyzer, or Databricks to access fleet data, parse logs, review telemetry, and support issue diagnosis and validation
- Strong communication and documentation skills, proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as CATIA, and ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment managing multiple priorities
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience with EV architectures, high voltage systems, or autonomous vehicle platforms
- Background in Toyota or OEM vehicle development and release processes
- Familiarity with electrical design tools and fleet data analysis or visualization tools
