Senior Reliability Engineer (Testing & Validation)

Location: Auckland, New Zealand | Full-time

About Scentian Bio

Scentian Bio is building the future of sensing, creating receptor-based sensor systems that bridge biology, software, and hardware. We are a fast-moving deep-tech startup turning world-class science into real-world products.

Our sensors are applied in food quality, pest detection, and human health, delivering measurable impact across multiple industries. Our mission is to bring practical, high-value sensing products to market while building a globally recognized platform for smell intelligence.

The Role

We are seeking a hands-on, senior-level Reliability Engineer to lead sensor testing, reliability validation, and early production activities.

In this role, you will own and evolve how we test, validate, and prepare products for real-world use. You will design and run reliability and lifetime experiments, and lead and execute pilot production, helping to build robust, reproducible systems.

You will join a highly capable, multidisciplinary team and play a key role in scaling engineering rigour, advancing testing methodologies, and supporting the transition from advanced research into customer-ready products. Your work will directly influence the success of our first products and lay the foundation for next-generation sensor platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute reliability, accelerated life, and QA/QC testing for sensors and prototypes, documenting results to drive process improvements.

• Lead pilot production and early product validation to ensure reproducibility, quality, and manufacturability.

• Establish test methodologies and embed reliability practices across the team.

• Develop and document QMS processes, including SOPs and work instructions.

• Collaborate with leadership (CSO, CTO) to translate technical findings into clear decisions, risks, and timelines.

• Implement design-for-reliability, test protocols, and production readiness frameworks.

Required Experience & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline.

• Significant hands-on experience in reliability engineering and product development, including taking products from prototype through to validated, customer-ready systems.

• Experience with lifetime testing and reliability modelling, including accelerated life testing and statistical analysis (e.g. Weibull, MTBF).

• Experience in commercial product development environments with strong QA/QC and documentation practices.

• Experience contributing to or supporting pilot production, manufacturing transfer, or early-stage production systems.

• Comfortable working at the bench and leading hands-on execution.

• Strong analytical thinking, with a practical, solutions-focused approach and clear communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience building or establishing reliability and testing practices in an emerging or early-stage product environment.

• Experience with wet lab techniques or biological assay workflows, enabling effective collaboration with the science team.

• Experience working within regulated environments.

• Experience with hardware-software integration in miniaturised systems, including embedded electronics or firmware.

Why Join Scentian Bio

• Take ownership of a critical capability and directly influence the success of early products.

• Apply your experience from established engineering environments in a setting where you can move faster and see immediate impact.

• Work at the intersection of biology, hardware, and data, solving genuinely novel technical challenges.

• Help shape the engineering culture of a growing deep-tech company.

• Be part of a collaborative, high-calibre team bringing breakthrough science into real-world use.

Apply

Send your CV and a short cover letter highlighting your experience in reliability and product development to: [email protected]