Low Voltage Wire Harness Technician
Overview
Join a hands-on engineering team developing autonomous systems, electrical platforms, prototype vehicles, and test rigs for demanding automotive, defense, trucking, and mining applications. As a Low Voltage Wire Harness Technician , you will fabricate, install, test, and troubleshoot 12V/24V wiring systems that connect compute platforms, sensors, drive-by-wire interfaces, and power distribution components.
This lab-based role combines precision bench fabrication with prototype vehicle installation and validation. You will collaborate closely with design engineers to identify build issues, document as-built configurations, support Engineering Change Orders, and improve the reliability of prototype fleets and test systems. High-voltage electrical work is strictly outside the scope of this position.
Required Skills
- 2+ years of hands-on experience fabricating, installing, and troubleshooting low-voltage wire harnesses.
- Experience in automotive, aerospace, robotics, drone, industrial, or comparable environments.
- Ability to cut, strip, crimp, splice, shield, sleeve, label, and terminate wire harnesses.
- Hands-on experience with connectors and terminals from manufacturers such as:
- Molex
- TE Connectivity
- Deutsch
- Amphenol
- Proficiency using standard crimp tools, pull testers, digital multimeters, harness testers, and basic CAN tools.
- Ability to read and interpret schematics, harness drawings, pinout tables, and bills of materials.
- Strong understanding of 12V/24V electrical systems, including:
- Wire gauge selection
- Circuit protection and fusing
- Grounding
- Strain relief
- Harness routing and clearance requirements
- Familiarity with automotive data interfaces, including CAN, Ethernet, GMSL, and USB.
- Experience performing continuity, isolation, pull-force, and functional testing.
- Ability to troubleshoot opens, shorts, voltage drops, bad grounds, intermittent faults, and connector wear.
- Strong attention to detail when documenting revisions, discrepancies, root causes, and corrective actions.
- Ability to rework harnesses in accordance with Engineering Change Orders and maintain accurate revision records.
- Proactive communication skills, including the confidence to raise physical build issues and drawing discrepancies with engineering teams.
- Ability to work inside prototype vehicles and in tight or physically demanding spaces.
Nice-to-Have Skills
- IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification.
- J-STD-001 soldering certification.
- Experience with harness CAD outputs, such as Capital, RapidHarness, or CATIA Electrical.
- Familiarity with JIRA for task and ticket management.
- Experience building breakout boxes, test fixtures, instrumentation harnesses, or lab test equipment.
- Experience creating redlined drawings, pinout revisions, wire lists, and as-built documentation.
- Familiarity with Slack or similar collaboration tools.
- Experience monitoring and maintaining inventory of wire, terminals, connectors, and related lab supplies.
Preferred Education and Experience
- At least 2 years of relevant hands-on low-voltage wire harness experience is preferred.
- No specific degree or formal educational background is required.
- Practical experience with harness fabrication, vehicle wiring, electrical testing, and troubleshooting is highly valued.
- Experience supporting prototype development, engineering changes, or complex electromechanical systems is beneficial.
Other Requirements
- Work location: Onsite and lab-based in Sunnyvale, California.
- Schedule: Flexible start time between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM; typically 45–50 hours per week.
- Overtime may be approved based on business needs.
- Approximately 15% national travel may be required, including travel to regional test locations. Potential international travel may also be available.
- Must be willing and able to travel to support vehicle testing and field activities.
- Contract-to-hire opportunity with an initial six-month term and potential transition to direct hire.
- Targeted start within approximately 2–3 weeks.
- High-voltage electrical work is strictly outside the scope of this role.
