Reliability Program Manager (Hardware)

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

The Role

As a Reliability Program Manager (REL PM) within Block Hardware, you will own the end-to-end strategy, planning, and execution of hardware reliability validation across our consumer electronics portfolio. You will serve as the single point of accountability for reliability test planning, execution, results synthesis, and cross-program learning, partnering closely with Hardware Engineering, Product Design, Quality, Operations, and Manufacturing.

This role is highly technical and program-oriented, requiring a strong understanding of consumer electronics reliability methodologies and how lab-based testing translates to real-world customer use cases. You will bring structure, consistency, and deep focus to reliability work that today is distributed across multiple programs, enabling earlier risk identification, clearer decision-making, and higher overall product quality.

The Reliability Program Manager operates as an independent, unbiased partner to individual product teams, ensuring that reliability risks are surfaced, prioritized, and resolved without being overshadowed by short-term schedule pressure.

You Will

• Own the hardware reliability (REL) strategy across Block Hardware products, from early development through production
• Define, maintain, and continuously improve standardized REL test plans by product category and development phase
• Plan and manage REL schedules across multiple concurrent hardware programs
• Serve as the primary point of contact for:
  • Third-party reliability laboratories
  • Contract manufacturer (CM) reliability partners
• Drive execution of reliability testing at labs and CMs, ensuring clear scope, timelines, and deliverables
• Track, analyze, and synthesize REL results, highlighting trends, risks, and systemic issues
• Partner with Hardware Engineering and Product Design to:
  • Drive failure analysis (FA)
  • Define mitigation and validation plans
  • Ensure reliability issues are appropriately prioritized and closed
• Identify common failure modes and mitigation strategies across programs and ensure learnings are reused
• Clearly communicate reliability status, risks, and tradeoffs to engineering leadership and program stakeholders
• Establish operating mechanisms and documentation that improve REL consistency, efficiency, and transparency
• Act as a strong advocate for product quality and long-term reliability throughout the development lifecycle

You Have

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field; MS preferred
• 8+ years of industry experience in consumer electronics, hardware development, or manufacturing environments
• 5+ years of experience directly owning or managing hardware reliability programs, validation, or qualification
• Strong hands-on knowledge of reliability testing methodologies (e.g., HALT, HASS, EVT/DVT/PVT REL testing, environmental, mechanical, and lifecycle testing)
• Experience working with third-party REL labs and contract manufacturers
• Ability to translate test results into meaningful product and customer impact
• Strong program management skills with demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional efforts
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level synthesis
• Comfort operating with high autonomy and accountability across multiple programs
• Ability to travel internationally for builds, lab engagements, and manufacturing support as needed

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting products through mass production and field returns analysis
• Familiarity with compliance, regulatory, or quality management systems
• Background working in highly scaled consumer hardware organizations
• Prior experience in an independent or centralized reliability function

We're working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances.

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we're doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page.

While there is no specific deadline to apply for this role, U.S. roles are typically open for an average of 55 days before being filled by a successful candidate. Please refer to the date listed at the top of this job page for when this role was first posted.