Hardware Test Engineer

Job Title

Hardware Test Engineer

Role Summary

Coordinate end-to-end management of Automated Test Equipment (ATE) hardware including change kits, sockets, load boards and probe cards. Serve as the vendor technical contact and work with cross-functional teams to ensure hardware availability for production and NPI schedules.

Drive hardware validation, debugging, inventory tracking, cost and gross-margin improvement initiatives for ATE-related tooling.

Experience Level

Mid-level — minimum 3 years of relevant experience in semiconductor ATE hardware management.

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities for the role include vendor, budget, and lifecycle management of ATE hardware and supporting technical validation.

• Act as primary technical and operational contact for ATE hardware vendors.
• Manage budgets and spending related to ATE hardware procurement.
• Maintain systems and processes for hardware requests and inventory tracking.
• Forecast ATE hardware needs with product engineering and operations to meet NPI and production timelines.
• Support hardware buy-off, release-to-production activities, and tool readiness.
• Perform basic technical evaluation, debugging, checkout, and documentation for sockets, boards, and change kits.
• Identify and execute cost and gross-margin improvement opportunities for load boards, probe cards, sockets, and change kits.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience required to perform the role.

• Experience managing semiconductor ATE hardware (sockets, boards, change kits, probe cards).
• Minimum 3 years relevant experience in ATE hardware or related roles.
• Experience with hardware buy-off and release-to-production processes.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and PCB layouts.
• Skills in technical planning, forecasting, and data analysis for hardware needs.
• Strong communication skills for presenting technical and financial data to leadership.
• Proven ability to collaborate across global, multi-department teams.

Nice-to-have:

• Hardware design experience for sockets, kits, or boards.
• Familiarity with CAD or similar design software.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: Renesas

Headquarters: Hitachinaka, Japan

Renesas is a global leader in embedded semiconductor solutions, providing high-quality products across automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT sectors. With over 22,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the company focuses on scalable solutions that enhance user experience and drive innovation while committed to sustainability and energy efficiency.