THE ROLE:

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Hardware Validation & Failure Analysis Engineer to lead hardware validation, system bring-up, failure analysis, and product sustainment activities across complex computing and embedded hardware platforms. In this role, you will be responsible for evaluating product performance throughout the product lifecycle, from pre-silicon validation and post-silicon bring-up to manufacturing support, field issue resolution, and long-term product sustainment.

THE PERSON:

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in hardware debugging, root cause analysis, and system-level validation with a hands-on approach to troubleshooting and cross-functional collaboration. You will work closely with hardware design teams, manufacturing partners, suppliers, and quality organizations to ensure product reliability, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Hardware Validation & Product Bring-Up

• Lead hardware validation activities for new product introductions, including pre-silicon and post-silicon validation and system bring-up.
• Support hardware development teams during platform bring-up and identify design risks, performance issues, and integration challenges early in the development cycle.
• Develop and execute validation plans to verify hardware functionality, reliability, and performance.
• Characterize and validate critical subsystems and components, including power delivery, memory, high-speed interfaces, and programmable devices.
• Perform voltage, frequency, signal integrity, and performance characterization at both system and component levels.

Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation

• Conduct comprehensive hardware failure analysis on field returns, manufacturing failures, and customer-reported issues.
• Perform hands-on debugging and troubleshooting at the system, board, and component levels to isolate root causes.
• Utilize both non-destructive and destructive failure analysis techniques to identify electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing defects.
• Analyze field failure data and identify trends related to PCB, PCBA, component, and mechanical failures.
• Drive corrective and preventive actions to improve product quality and reliability.

Product Sustainment & Manufacturing Support

• Oversee hardware performance and reliability following first customer shipment (FCS) and throughout the product lifecycle.
• Support sustainment efforts for existing and newly released products, including troubleshooting, repair, rework, and component replacement.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and field support teams to resolve escalated product issues.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing yield improvement initiatives and production issue resolution.
• Partner with contract manufacturers and OEM partners to optimize manufacturing processes and improve product quality.

Design Improvement & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with hardware designers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing teams, suppliers, and vendors to resolve complex technical issues.
• Recommend hardware, software, mechanical, and manufacturing process improvements based on validation findings and failure analysis results.
• Support component qualification activities, including alternate source qualification and component substitutions.
• Collaborate with product management and business stakeholders to understand customer requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Communicate technical findings, project status, risks, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong experience in hardware validation, system bring-up, failure analysis, product sustainment, or related engineering roles.
• Strong hands-on experience troubleshooting and debugging hardware systems down to the component level.
• Deep understanding of hardware design principles, including circuit design, PCB design, and system integration.
• Experience performing root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions for hardware failures.
• Knowledge of hardware validation methodologies, debugging techniques, and reliability testing.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, quality, and field-return investigations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate across global, cross-functional teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Expertise in validating and characterizing:
• • DC/DC power systems
  • FPGA and CPLD devices
  • PCIe interfaces
  • DDR4 memory systems
  • SRAM
  • ASIC-based platforms
• Experience with signal integrity analysis and voltage/frequency characterization.
• Familiarity with hardware development and design tools, including:
• • Cadence
  • SPICE and related simulation tools
  • Schematic capture and PCB design tools
• Experience with failure analysis techniques, including both non-destructive and destructive analysis methods.
• Knowledge of EDVT, MDVT, ORT, and other environmental and reliability stress testing methodologies.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing yield issues and implementing process improvements.
• Working knowledge of Python scripting and the ability to modify and maintain existing automation scripts.
• Experience working with OEMs, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and component vendors.

Key Competencies

• Hardware Validation & Verification
• System Bring-Up & Debug
• Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation
• PCB & Component-Level Troubleshooting
• Product Reliability & Quality Engineering
• Manufacturing Support & Yield Improvement
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Technical Leadership & Communication
• Continuous Improvement Mindset

This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on product quality, reliability, and customer success by driving hardware excellence from development through production and sustainment.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.