Senior Electrical Reliability and Failure Analysis Engineer - Kasmo Inc

Job Title: Senior Electrical Reliability and Failure Analysis Engineer

Company: Generac Power Systems
Location: Waukesha, WI

Position Summary:
Generac Power Systems is looking for a highly skilled Senior Engineer in Electrical Reliability and Failure Analysis to enhance the reliability and robustness of electronic components within our Energy Technology product line. This role involves in-depth failure analysis, qualification testing, and reliability assessments for components, ensuring they meet performance expectations and withstand real-world applications. The successful candidate will lead technical investigations into component failure mechanisms and support design improvements, collaborating closely with a diverse engineering team spread across North America.

Key Responsibilities:

• Advanced Failure Analysis: Conduct detailed failure analyses at the component level using methodologies such as X-ray inspection, cross-sectioning, microscopy, and other advanced techniques.
• Component Qualification and Validation: Oversee the qualification and validation process for electronic and electromechanical components, aligning them with application-specific reliability and durability standards.
• Root Cause Analysis: Develop and implement methodologies to diagnose failure mechanisms, leading root cause investigations and producing comprehensive findings.
• Post-Test Evaluation: Analyze and document the performance of components post-testing, providing actionable insights for design and process improvements.
• Test Coordination and Support: Partner with engineering teams to establish system-level test procedures, acquire resources, manage test equipment, and troubleshoot complex issues as they arise.
• Collaboration with Stakeholders: Work closely with manufacturing partners and other engineering stakeholders to enhance product design, reliability, and manufacturability, particularly for high-volume production environments.
• Supplier Partnership: Coordinate with electronic component suppliers to identify and evaluate potential failure modes, ensuring components meet required standards.
• Defect Analysis and Component Quality Assessment: Assess component quality, performing defect analyses to support quality control and ongoing product improvement.
• External Lab Coordination: Manage relationships with external failure analysis labs, scoping and interpreting testing methodologies to inform component improvements.
• Design for Reliability (DFR): Develop and implement component qualification matrices and guidelines, incorporating DFR principles to enhance product robustness and reliability.
• Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving: Lead analytical troubleshooting sessions to address operational issues, set performance goals, and drive continual improvement.
• Reporting: Compile formal reports on failure analysis findings, presenting data and conclusions to support informed decision-making across engineering and quality teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in electronic component application, validation, and failure analysis, with preference for experience in residential/commercial products.
• Proficiency in physics-based failure analysis methodologies and the use of internal/external FA tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in power electronics and/or power converters.
• Experience with clean energy technologies such as solar or energy storage systems.
• Proficiency in Altium or other PCB schematic capture and layout software.
• Familiarity with analytical tools and techniques, including cross-sectioning, radiographic examination, microscopy, and bench testing.
• Demonstrated experience in processing data and information to determine failure causes.
• Knowledge of corrective and preventative actions for quality improvement.

Core Skills and Abilities:

• Technical Expertise: Solid grounding in electrical engineering theory and failure mode analysis, with a thorough understanding of electronic and electromechanical components.
• Component Validation: Proficient in developing and implementing component qualification plans, with knowledge of PCB layout best practices.
• Manufacturing Knowledge: Experience with large-scale manufacturing, including mixed surface mount/through-hole PCBs and electromechanical assembly.
• Attention to Detail and Problem-Solving: Keen attention to detail and an analytical mindset, with a passion for addressing complex engineering challenges.
• Adaptability and Ambiguity Management: Ability to make progress in uncertain situations, finding solutions with limited information.
• Organizational Skills: Strong time management and organizational abilities, prioritizing tasks and managing information to meet goals effectively.