Reliability Test Engineer

Job Description:

Job Description:

We are seeking a Reliability Test Specialist to join our Reliability & Certification team in Sorocaba, Brazil.

The role will focus on ensuring the long-term durability and performance of mechanical and electromechanical technologies used in solar power plants. You will be actively involved in in-house reliability testing and technology scouting for the Reliability Lab, while determining which tests can be delegated to suppliers or third-party laboratories.

You will represent Reliability throughout product development, working closely with Controls Engineering, Product Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Field Services, and suppliers to identify reliability risks, reproduce failures, validate corrective actions, and ensure Nextpower’s systems meet reliability, safety, and performance requirements.

Core functions:

• Reliability Test Planning: Develop and execute long-term test plans for mechanical and electromechanical components and systems, including accelerated life testing (ALT), vibration, thermal cycling, and corrosion testing. Assess component reliability—including fatigue, wear, and corrosion—and define meaningful test conditions that reflect real-world use cases.
• Test Execution & Data Reporting: Support test setup and instrumentation selection, including strain gauges, data acquisition systems (DAQ), torque sensors, environmental chambers, and dynamometers. Own test-data analysis and produce standardized reliability reports suitable for internal stakeholders and customer-facing materials.
• Verification & Validation: Support experimental activities to validate product durability and performance at laboratory, field, and pilot scales. Inspect and collect field-aged specimens, characterizing them using appropriate techniques. Use data analysis and scripting to support test automation and data reduction.
• Lab Operations Support: Oversee the maintenance and calibration of testing equipment to ensure accuracy and reliability. Collaborate with other R&D teams on the specification and calibration of test equipment, as well as the development of new devices and experimental setups.
• Risk Analysis: Apply first-principles approaches to identify risks and quantify their impact. Organize brainstorming and DFMEA sessions for mechanical and electromechanical systems during concept and design phases to identify failure modes and prioritize mitigations, such as redundancy, derating, and mechanical design changes.
• Failure Analysis: Participate in failure investigations with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and third-party laboratories. Design tests to reproduce failure modes, conduct field inspections, drive root-cause analysis (RCA), and ensure corrective actions are implemented and verified.
• Collaboration & Supplier Engagement: Work with Design, Manufacturing, Asset Management, and Quality to translate test and field findings into design improvements. Maintain detailed records of testing procedures and results, and provide comprehensive reports to stakeholders. Engage suppliers to define and review their reliability-testing activities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Proven experience of 5+ years in test engineering, reliability, or product development, preferably in renewable energy, automotive, or other industries involving field-deployed products.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Materials, or a related field. A master’s degree or MBA in related areas is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with metallic structures and components, especially fatigue and dynamic testing.
• Familiarity with physics-of-failure principles and failure-rate prediction under vibration, shock, temperature, and load cycling.
• Experience supporting root-cause analyses of field failures in electronic and electromechanical products.
• Knowledge of reliability test methods, including ALT, HALT, and HASS, as well as IEC, UL, ASTM, and ISO standards applicable to metallic components and environmental testing.
• Experience with instrumentation, including DAQ systems, strain gauges, and dynamometers, as well as familiarity with FEA for stress and fatigue prediction.
• Advanced English proficiency, including the ability to conduct meetings and prepare technical reports; Spanish is a plus.
• Availability to travel up to 10% for occasional field inspections and data collection.
• Advanced or fluent English

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in programming, test automation, and scripting languages such as Python, SQL, LabVIEW, or equivalent tools for data analysis.
• Proficiency in reliability theory and statistical fundamentals.
• Experience with metallography, optical microscopy, fractography, and CT characterization is a plus.
• Familiarity with stamped-steel products and galvanized-steel variations, including pre-galvanized steel, hot-dip galvanized steel (HDG), and other alloys.
• Experience in the solar or renewable-energy markets.
• Technical training through hands-on programs such as SENAI is highly desirable, but not mandatory.

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.