Reliability Engineer

Pyka is looking for a reliability engineer to manage issues and root cause problems. The overall goal is to improve aircraft reliability by robustly solving issues.

On a day-to-day basis you will triage incoming issues, create detailed problem statements, prioritize issues and root cause the most important issues. You will interface with operations, manufacturing, mechanical and electrical engineering. You may also support test campaigns in collaboration with others. The candidate we are looking for will pursue these issues with zeal, has a knack for problem solving, and is able to quickly learn new techniques and technologies.

Your work will have a large impact on the success of Pyka’s transition from prototype builds to serial production. This will be a technically demanding position with enormous opportunity for growth.

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of fast, environmentally friendly, and accessible transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building useful, game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

Today, we supply our aircraft to agricultural service providers and farmers as an autonomous tool that makes aerial crop protection safer, more targeted and less harmful to surrounding environments. Our vehicles are highly economical to operate and easy to deploy. What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one-step closer each day.

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

We foster a welcoming community within our company that promotes experimentation, asking questions, making simple solutions to complex problems, and expressing different views and opinions. We are a transparent company both internally and externally and do not believe in operating in “stealth mode.” Lastly, we don’t work 60 hour weeks, and don’t expect you to either. In this role you will have a great deal of responsibility, earn a competitive salary and benefits,  and contribute to the development of groundbreaking technology.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Pyka Mechanical Design team to efficiently validate the operating envelope and reliability/robustness of new designs as well as improve on existing designs based on in-field testing/bug reports.
  
• Create problem statements for issues
  
• Triage and manage current and new issues
  
• Root cause issues using a scientific approach, creating documents to hand over
  
• Perform testing to confirm root cause
  
• Create and maintain progress reports
  
• Prioritize and package issues for resolution
  
• Support roll out of issue containment and permanent corrective actions
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) with 3+ years of related work experience

• Past experience working on production of a complex safety critical product (aviation, space, automotive, medical, etc.)

• Extremely strong critical thinking skills and attention to subtle details of hardware
  
• A hunger for data, and ability to collect and analyze data in order to accurately validate hypothesis
  
• Strong ability to work in a team environment with the ability to help and mentor team members

• Experience working in a prototyping environment
  

Company Perks

• $120,000 - $155,000 per year base salary + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
  
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance, FSA with employer matching, and 401(k)
  
• Paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
  
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks
  

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.