Electrical Systems Diagnostics Engineer

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Workplace: On-site, 5 days per week
Location: Foster City, CA
Travel: Within Bay Area, support plant activity in Hayward, CA
Salary: $115-135k

As an Electrical Systems Diagnostics Engineer, focused on Diagnostics and Root Cause Analysis, you will be the critical link between our design engineering teams and the fleet operations technicians. Your primary mission is to ensure the reliability and uptime of our public vehicles by leading complex electrical troubleshooting, driving hands-on repairs, and executing formal Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to prevent recurring issues. This role is based onsite in Foster City, CA, with regular travel across the Bay to support activity at our plant in Hayward, CA.
You will dive deep into vehicle networks, collaborate daily with technicians on the shop floor, and translate diagnostic findings into actionable engineering improvements.

Responsibilities 
Troubleshooting & Diagnostics
    • Serve as the highest-level escalation point for complex electrical, electronic, and network issues on our public vehicles.
    • Utilize CAN tools and advanced diagnostic equipment to interrogate vehicle networks, pinpoint communication faults, and isolate hardware/software anomalies.
    • Analyze vehicle log data to reconstruct failure events and identify system-level electrical faults
    • Develop and document standardized diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting trees for the technician team
Root Cause Analysis & Corrective Action
    • Lead cross-functional RCA investigations for systemic or high-severity electrical failures using industry-standard methodologies
    • Implement temporary containment actions (workarounds/immediate repairs) while simultaneously driving long-term, permanent corrective actions.
    • Present RCA findings to hardware, firmware, and software engineering teams to influence future design iterations and improve vehicle reliability
    • Maintain detailed failure analysis documentation and track the effectiveness of implemented solutions over time
Technician Collaboration & Mentorship
    • Work shoulder-to-shoulder with service technicians on the floor to guide complex repairs and component replacements
    • Translate complex engineering concepts into accessible, practical guidance for the technician team.
    • Actively listen to technician feedback regarding serviceability and diagnostic pain points, advocating for improvements in diagnostic software and vehicle design
    • Provide training to technicians on the use of CAN tools, multimeters, oscilloscopes, and proper electrical safety protocols
Stakeholder Communication
    • Communicate technical issues, requirements, and RCA findings clearly to engineering teams, and distill the same information into concise, high-level explanations for non-technical stakeholders and program leadership.
    • Serve as a trusted point of contact across the Foster City and Hayward sites, keeping cross-functional partners aligned on status, risk, and next steps.
    • Produce clear written summaries and verbal briefings tailored to the audience, from shop-floor technicians to senior decision-makers.

Qualifications 
    • Experience level: 5+ years' experience in automotive/robotics/aerospace or similar
    • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related technical field.
    • Wire Harness Expertise: Understands standard repair processes and can actively demonstrate and coach technicians
    • CAN Network Expertise: Proven, hands-on experience using industry-standard CAN network analysis tools (e.g., Vector CANalyzer, CANoe, PCAN) to monitor traffic, inject signals, and diagnose network health
    • RCA Proficiency: Deep understanding and practical application of formal Root Cause Analysis methodologies (i.e. Shainin, 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone/Ishikawa diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis)
    • Hands-On Aptitude: Strong ability to read complex wiring schematics and use traditional bench tools (oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers). You must be comfortable turning wrenches and working directly on vehicles
    • Communication: Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven track record of building trust and working seamlessly with both blue-collar technicians and white-collar design engineers

Bonus Qualifications 
    • Spanish Fluency: Ability to communicate in Spanish is highly desirable, but not required.
    • Cloud Diagnostics: Ability to analyze remote vehicle logs to catch fleet issues early
    • Functional Safety: Familiarity with strict automotive safety standards like ISO 26262
    • Rapid Response Leadership: Experience leading fast-paced teams to solve critical, high-pressure problems

Salary Range
    • $115,000-135,000
    • The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.