Senior R&D Reliability/Test Engineer

About Formlabs:

A 3D printer is one of the most demanding machines you can build.

Lasers, optics, precision motion, thermals, airflow, materials handling, chemistry, sensing, controls, and software all have to work at micron-scale precision, for thousands of layers, with almost no tolerance for error. Making that work reliably is an extraordinary engineering problem.

That’s what we do.

At Formlabs, we’re building 3D printers that are changing the way things get made. We have the smartest minds across every engineering discipline, and the technology they’re building is deployed at more than 50,000 industry leaders worldwide, including Apple, Google, Tesla, New Balance, and NASA.

Your Impact: 

The Reliability Engineering Team is the company's independent voice on product robustness, ensuring our hardware products are reliable so that Customers spend more time printing and less time troubleshooting. We architect effective testing strategies, engineer advanced electro-mechanical test rigs, and extract valuable, actionable insights from the data. 

Are you a versatile and curious engineer who can see the whole system—from the smallest part to the user's workflow? Can you take complex data and turn it into a clear, compelling story? If so, join our small and agile R&D Reliability Engineering Team.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop, execute, and manage system, subsystem, and component level validation test plans to ensure products meet design and reliability requirements. 
• Perform hands-on and data-driven root cause analysis (RCA) of electromechanical subsystems and field failures, utilizing common problem-solving methodologies and a "physics of failure" approach.
• Design, build, and implement automated testing equipment for subsystem characterization and reliability/environmental testing.
• Collaborate with R&D design teams throughout product development to perform risk assessments, manage continuous testing, and contribute to design reviews, influencing product design for reliability from day one.
• Analyze field failure data to identify trends, prioritize investigations based on business value, and develop clear, actionable corrective action plans (CAPAs).

Our team did the testing to ensure Form 4 would be the most reliable printer Formlabs has ever built:

• LCD & Light Engine: Developed custom rigs to simulate UV light and heat, continuously monitoring performance over thousands of hours.
• Mixer Scraper: Tested our proprietary debris detection hardware to protect the LPU from damage.
• Z-Axis: Conducted millions of cycles of accelerated lifetime testing to ensure consistent motion.
• Tank Film: Developed custom pneumatic fixtures to ensure that tank tension remained high after tens of thousands of layers.
• Cartridge & Dispense System: Optimized cartridge geometry to ensure reliable dispensing of all kinds of Formlabs materials.

Watch here to see a breakdown of these systems in action!

About You:

• Well-versed with complex electromechanical systems and passionate about understanding what it takes to make them work reliably.
• Have 2+ years of experience with testing a wide range of sensors, actuators, and mechanical components.
• Have experience developing system test plans and know how to execute them efficiently within fast-paced product development timelines.
• Can prototype and run your own tests, from experimental setup to hardware and software implementation in Python.
• Possess strong data analysis skills, capable of distilling complex test results and field data into clear, concise, and compelling insights that drive action.

Bonus Skills:

• Familiarity with Linux systems and scripting in various languages.
• Experience with SQL for data analysis.
• Prior experience with field failure analysis or quality engineering roles is a plus.

Our Perks & Benefits:

• Unlimited 3D printing with any Formlabs material on any Formlabs printer
• An equity program that will let you build wealth through RSUs
• Healthcare coverage (medical, dental, vision) that includes a totally free employee-only plan, effective starting on your first day on the job
• 401K matching with no vesting or tenure requirement
• Generous parental leave (fully paid up to 16 weeks)
• Flexible time off so you can take time when you need it
• Six-week fully paid sabbatical after hitting tenure milestones (with the option to take an additional six weeks after that)
• Free on-site parking & pre-tax commuter benefits
• Free on-site lunch, snacks, beverages, treats, beer kegs, and employee-favorite local coffee and espresso
• Self-driven professional development opportunities like conferences, trade shows, and hackathons
• One-of-a-kind activities and events like monthly socials, the annual weekend summer camp, a can’t-miss company hackathon, and lots of other social opportunities

You don’t need to check every box to apply for a role. If you love working with hardware, spending time with smart people, solving hard problems, and winning, we want to hear from you.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Compensation

Every Formlabs employee receives equity because everyone contributes to building the company. You’ll have the opportunity to share financially in the value we create together, with a shared incentive to build a business that succeeds over the long term. Equity will be a significant portion of your total compensation, and will increase over time in proportion to your impact. The base pay will be determined by your skills, qualifications, experience, location, and expected impact on the organization.

The annual base pay range for this role is:
$130,000—$250,000 USD