Staff Failure Analysis Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Field Failure Analysis Engineer to lead deep-dive technical investigations into electromechanical, hardware, and system-level field failures across deployed Digit fleets. In this role, you bridge field operations, customer deployments, and engineering design teams to rapidly contain field escapes, definitively identify physics-of-failure mechanisms, and drive closed-loop corrective actions (CAPA) back into manufacturing and next-generation architecture.

• Drive Deep-Dive Physical & System FA: Lead end-to-end failure investigations on field-returned modules—including high-torque actuators, cycloidal/planetary gearboxes, high-strain cable harnesses, PCBAs, motor controllers, safety sensors (LiDAR/depth cameras), and battery management systems (BMS).
• Telemetry & Log-Driven Triage: Correlate physical failure modes with fleet telemetry data, onboard CAN/EtherCAT bus logs, system crash dumps, and time-series sensor data to reproduce field anomalies in lab environments.
• Own 8D & CAPA Execution: Champion structured problem-solving (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, FTA) for critical field excursions. Partner cross-functionally with Design Engineering, Manufacturing Quality, and Supplier Quality to drive permanent design-for-reliability (DFR) and design-for-serviceability (DFS) mitigations.
• Rapid Field Containment: Define immediate containment protocols, triage criteria, and inspection work instructions for field technicians and customer-support teams during safety-critical or fleet-wide failure events.
• Manage FA Lab & External Testing Partners: Oversee internal failure analysis lab equipment (oscilloscopes, thermal imaging, digital microscopy, dynamometers) and coordinate advanced external analytical testing (CT scanning, SEM/EDX, cross-sectioning, metallurgical analysis).
• Standardize RMA & Depot FA Workflows: Establish standardized teardown SOPs, failure code taxonomies, and disposition tracking across repair depots and Salem assembly facilities.
• Quality Reporting & Pareto Analytics: Analyze fleet return rates, Mean Time Between Incidents (MTBI), and component failure modes to deliver clear Pareto metrics and technical executive summaries to engineering and operations leadership.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience: 6+ years of hands-on failure analysis, field quality, or reliability engineering experience supporting complex electromechanical systems (Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, EV/Powertrain, Aerospace, or Heavy Industrial Automation).
• Mechatronics Troubleshooting: Demonstrated ability to trace cross-domain issues spanning mechanical stress/wear, electrical signal degradation, motor drive failures, and firmware/sensor interaction.
• Structured RCA Mastery: Practical mastery of 8D, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), FMEA, and Ishikawa diagrams, with a portfolio of verified corrective actions that eliminated field failure modes.
• Lab Tool Proficiency: Proficiency with bench diagnostic tools (DMMs, high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, optical microscopy, thermal cameras, torque test fixtures).

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