Senior Failure Analysis Engineer

Team: Quality

Location: Menlo Park, CA

Commitment: Salary

Workplace Type: onsite

Salary:

Job Overview

Our Linear Generator is a sophisticated system integrating a wide range of engineering disciplines, including thermodynamics, mechanical, electrical, software, and controls. To support our rapid transition into volume manufacturing we are actively expanding the scope and size of our Failure Analysis team.

We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Failure Analysis Engineer with a strong electrical engineering background to join us. In this role, you will own the investigation of electrical failures, scaling our FA throughput and translating physics-of-failure insights into hardware improvements. This is a high-visibility and high-impact role where your findings will help steer design iterations, prevent escapes, increase test coverage and help ensure the ultimate reliability of the fundamentally new class of power generation.

Responsibilities

Lead Hands-on Investigations: Perform deep-dive troubleshooting and debugging on a wide variety of electrical enclosures and hardware, ranging from low-voltage logic controllers to high-voltage power switching systems

Drive Root Cause Analysis: Apply structured engineering and problem-solving methodologies to pinpoint mechanisms of failure, translating your findings into actionable containment, corrective, and preventive actions (CAPA)

Accelerate FA Throughput: Streamline diagnostic workflows and optimization techniques to increase the pace of our failure analysis loop, ensuring rapid feedback for fast-moving product upgrade programs

Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work closely with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Reliability, and field maintenance teams to clearly communicate data-driven FA findings and influence product improvements

Build the Knowledge Base: Document diagnostic workflows, teardown procedures, and failure-mode data to build a resourceful knowledge base

Coach and Mentor: Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and coaching to less experienced failure analysis engineers and technicians, raising the collective technical bar and impact of the team

The Ideal Candidate

You thrive at the intersection of electrical hardware and physics. You love getting your hands on in the lab, tracing signals, and finding the needle in a haystack within complex electrical architectures

You are fascinated by environmental and system interactions. The challenge of understanding how EMC/EMI issues, thermal cycling, moisture, and harsh operating environments interact with complex power electronics excites you

You are a master of structured problem-solving. You don't rely on guesswork; you systematically approach failures using data and frameworks to build an ironclad case for root cause analysis

You thrive in dynamic, cross-disciplinary environments. You enjoy working side-by-side with cross-functional teams, seamlessly closing gaps to solve multi-faceted system issues

You are an impactful communicator. You can translate complex, highly technical electrical failure mechanisms into clear, concise, and actionable insights for both technical peers and executive stakeholders

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline required

Minimum 5–8+ years of direct, applicable experience in failure analysis, electrical troubleshooting, or reliability engineering

Deep expertise in analyzing system-level electrical interactions, including hands-on experience identifying and mitigating EMC/EMI issues and environmental degradation

Proficiency with common structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, Ishikawa diagrams, 5-Why analysis)

Strong verbal and written communication skills to construct clear FA reports and presenting technical data to cross-functional teams

Experience with coaching or mentoring junior engineers or laboratory technicians

Detail-oriented mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities comfortably in a fast-paced, high-growth environment