What is a Network Engineer at AURORA?

At AURORA, the Network Engineer role—often specialized as a Senior ME/EDS Routing Design Engineer—is the critical link between our autonomous software and the physical reality of the vehicle. You are responsible for designing the nervous system of the Aurora Driver. This means developing the complex electrical distribution systems (EDS), wire harnesses, and vehicle networks that allow our hardware modules to communicate flawlessly across various OEM vehicle platforms.

Your impact in this role is both immediate and massive. By designing robust automotive-grade wiring, electromechanical components, and fluid routing systems, you ensure that our self-driving technology operates safely and reliably in the real world. You will tackle massively complex packaging and integration challenges, adapting designs for multiple vehicle types, including passenger cars and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks.

This is not a traditional IT networking role; it is a highly cross-functional hardware and physical network integration position. You will work alongside passionate, intelligent experts in the Hardware Product Engineering group, directly influencing how the Aurora Driver is built, prototyped, and launched. Expect a fast-paced environment where your CAD assemblies, manufacturing knowledge, and hands-on prototyping directly contribute to a safer, more efficient transportation ecosystem.

Common Interview Questions

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at AURORA requires a strategic approach. We want to understand not just what you have built, but how you think, how you collaborate, and how you navigate the complexities of automotive hardware integration.

You will be evaluated across several key dimensions:

Domain Expertise (EDS & Vehicle Networks) – We assess your foundational knowledge of automotive electrical distribution systems. Interviewers will look for a deep understanding of wire and cable harnesses, device connectors, and the physical layers of vehicle networks (like CAN or Automotive Ethernet). You can demonstrate strength here by clearly explaining your past design decisions and material selections.

Design & Engineering Rigor – This evaluates your proficiency in translating complex requirements into manufacturable designs. We expect strong capabilities in 3D and 2D CAD packaging, including a solid grasp of GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing). Be ready to walk through your portfolio and discuss how you detail drawings for internal and external fabrication.

Manufacturing & Prototyping Acumen – AURORA values engineers who understand how things are actually made. Interviewers will probe your knowledge of manufacturing methods such as harnessing, clipping, injection molding, and sheet metal forming. You will stand out if you can discuss how you engage with build technicians to assemble, test, and validate prototype hardware on actual vehicles.

Culture Fit & Cross-Functional Collaboration – Building autonomous vehicles is a team sport. We evaluate how you navigate ambiguity, communicate with external vendors, and collaborate with adjacent engineering teams. Strong candidates will share specific examples of influencing design outcomes and resolving conflicts during complex vehicle integration projects.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for the Network Engineer role at AURORA is rigorous, structured, and designed to give you multiple opportunities to showcase your expertise. Typically, the process begins with an initial recruiter screen to align on your background, role expectations, and basic qualifications. This is followed by a technical phone screen with a senior engineer, which focuses heavily on your core EDS knowledge, CAD experience, and understanding of vehicle networks.

If you advance, you will be invited to a virtual onsite interview loop. This stage usually consists of four to five distinct sessions, including a deep-dive design review, technical problem-solving rounds, and a behavioral interview focused on collaboration and our company values. We place a strong emphasis on real-world scenarios, so expect questions that mirror the actual challenges we face when integrating the Aurora Driver into OEM platforms.

Our interviewing philosophy is highly collaborative and data-driven. We want to see how you approach problems when the answer isn't obvious. The process is less about passing a test and more about simulating what it is like to work through complex hardware integration challenges with the AURORA team.

The timeline above outlines the typical progression of our interview stages, from the initial recruiter screen through the comprehensive onsite loop. Use this visual to pace your preparation, ensuring you allocate enough time to gather portfolio materials for the design review while also preparing for cross-functional behavioral questions. Keep in mind that specific round sequencing may slightly vary depending on interviewer availability and your specific location.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you need to understand exactly what our engineering teams are looking for. Below are the primary evaluation areas you will encounter during your technical and onsite rounds.

Electrical Distribution Systems (EDS) and Vehicle Networks

Because you are designing the physical pathways for vehicle data and power, your understanding of EDS is paramount. Interviewers need to know that you can design systems that survive the harsh environments of automotive applications. Strong performance means demonstrating a mastery of component selection, signal integrity at the physical layer, and power distribution strategies.

Be ready to go over:

• Harness Design Principles – Routing strategies, shielding, strain relief, and automotive-grade wire selection.
• Connector and Component Selection – Choosing the right electromechanical components for specific environmental zones within a vehicle.
• Vehicle Network Physical Layers – Understanding the physical constraints and routing requirements for CAN, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – High-voltage routing safety, electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation in dense hardware packages, and custom connector design.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would route a high-speed data harness through a high-vibration zone on a Class 8 truck."
• "What factors do you consider when selecting connectors for an externally mounted sensor suite exposed to weather and debris?"
• "Describe a time you had to troubleshoot a signal integrity issue caused by poor EDS routing."

Mechanical Design and CAD Integration

At AURORA, a Network Engineer does not just draw schematics; you create the physical 3D and 2D CAD packages that integrate COTS and custom hardware into the vehicle. You will be evaluated on your ability to deliver well-engineered CAD assemblies and detailed manufacturing drawings. A strong candidate will seamlessly navigate between high-level vehicle packaging and component-level detailing.

Be ready to go over:

• 3D Packaging and Integration – Adapting hardware assemblies into various vehicle zones while managing space constraints and thermal considerations.
• 2D Detailing and GD&T – Applying appropriate views, notes, and tolerances to ensure precise fabrication by vendors.
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM) – Structuring your CAD models to align with practical assembly and fabrication methods.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Parametric modeling strategies for highly modular vehicle platforms, and automated harness routing in CAD software.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Present a past project where you had to integrate a complex hardware module into a tightly constrained vehicle space."
• "How do you approach applying GD&T to a custom sheet metal bracket used for harness clipping?"
• "Explain your process for handing off a 3D CAD package to an external vendor for fabrication."

Manufacturing, Prototyping, and Validation

We are a hands-on culture. You must ensure your technical designs can actually be built and validated during prototype phases. Interviewers will assess your familiarity with manufacturing methods and your ability to work directly with build technicians. Strong candidates show a pragmatic approach to prototyping, understanding when to use rapid manufacturing versus production-tooled methods.

Be ready to go over:

• Manufacturing Methods – Deep understanding of harnessing, clipping, fluid routing, machining, injection molding, and sheet metal forming.
• Prototype Build Support – How you engage with manufacturing teams to assemble and test early-stage hardware.
• Iterative Validation – Collaborating with testing teams to validate designs on the vehicle and iterating based on real-world feedback.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Transitioning prototype harness designs to high-volume manufacturing, and designing custom test fixtures for EDS validation.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time a design looked great in CAD but failed during the prototype build. How did you resolve it?"
• "Which manufacturing method would you choose for a low-volume, highly complex harness clip, and why?"
• "How do you handle feedback from build technicians who find your routing design difficult to assemble on the line?"