Reliability Engineering Manager

Location: Alhambra CA (Onsite)

Job Summary:  

We are seeking a hands‑on Reliability Engineering leader to establish, own, and execute reliability engineering for an InP‑based III‑V photonic semiconductor manufacturing operation producing optical amplifiers, laser diodes, and related photonic devices.

This role serves as the single source of truth for product performance, reliability, and wear‑out behavior across new product introduction, qualification, and high‑volume manufacturing. The position requires deep, practical expertise in compound III-V, particularly InP/InGaAsP material systems, degradation physics, accelerated life testing, and Telcordia GR‑468 qualification, combined with strong technical leadership in a fab and assembly/test environment.

The role may be filled at the Manager or Sr Manager level, depending on experience and demonstrated scope. Regardless of level, this is expected to be a hands‑on, player‑coach role, performing substantial technical work directly. This is not a staffed organization today, and any team growth will be incremental and driven by business needs.

Key Responsibilities

Reliability Leadership & Ownership (Hands‑On at All Levels)

• Establish and lead the Reliability Engineering function for SPP
• Own reliability requirements, targets, and performance for all InP‑based photonic products
• Serve as the authoritative owner of reliability data, conclusions, and risk assessments
• Define and maintain reliability specifications, qualification targets, MTFF / FIT goals, and end‑of‑life criteria, define and execute in-process testing and screening
• Set technical direction and personally review or execute critical analyses and conclusions

Telcordia Qualification & Accelerated Life Testing

• Hands‑on planning, execution, analysis, and reporting of accelerated life tests (HTOL, aging, step‑stress, etc.) per Telcordia GR‑468
• Lead Telcordia qualification programs from initial strategy through customer acceptance
• Perform or directly oversee degradation modeling and life‑test statistics
• Ensure technical rigor and defensibility of all qualification conclusions

Degradation Physics & Wear‑Out Mechanisms

• Lead deep understanding of degradation physics specific to III‑V (InP) compound semiconductor photonic devices
• Identify, model, and mitigate dominant wear‑out mechanisms in lasers and optical amplifiers
• Correlate reliability behavior to material properties, epitaxial growth conditions, device design, and process variation
• Translate physics‑based insight into concrete design, process, and screening actions

Yield Improvement, Failure Analysis & Corrective Action

• Lead hands‑on yield and reliability improvement initiatives using structured methodologies:
  • Defect Pareto analysis
  • Wafer mapping and spatial correlation
  • Inline parametric data correlation across epitaxy, wafer fab, chip fabrication, and CoC assembly
• Perform or directly guide detailed failure analysis and root cause investigations
• Own 8D corrective actions for reliability issues, ensuring durable and verified closure
• Partner with Operations, R&D, and Corporate FA to drive prevention, not just containment

Customer Qualification & Interface

• Act as the primary reliability technical interface for customers
• Support customer qualification activities and audits
• Build, present, and defend reliability and Telcordia qualification data packages
• Own and deliver PPAP / PFMEA‑type outputs tied to reliability and qualification expectations
• Provide credible, data‑driven responses to customer reliability concerns

Data, Reporting & Executive Communication

• Develop dashboards and structured reporting for:
  • Reliability performance and trends
  • Yield loss mechanisms
  • Life‑test and degradation behavior
• Communicate clear technical recommendations to executive leadership
• Influence decisions through data, modeling, and engineering judgment

Corporate Quality & FA Collaboration

• Align local reliability practices with Corporate Quality Systems
• Interface with Corporate Failure Analysis teams on escalated or complex issues
• Ensure consistency between SPP practices and corporate quality frameworks
• Support internal, external, and customer audits
• Act as the primary SPP reliability representative in corporate initiatives

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, Materials Science, or related field required
• MS or PhD strongly preferred, particularly in compound semiconductor physics and devices
• 10+ years of reliability experience in III‑V compound semiconductor photonic devices
• Direct, hands‑on experience with Telcordia GR‑468 qualification planning, execution, analysis, and reporting
• Deep expertise in compound III/V semiconductor material systems (particularly InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs/AlGaInP), epitaxial growth defects, and reliability impact
• Strong understanding of degradation physics and wear‑out mechanisms for lasers and optical amplifiers
• Hands‑on or advanced working knowledge of FA techniques:
  • SEM / EDS
  • FIB cross‑sectioning
  • EBIC, PEM
  • OBIC / OBIRCH
  • Electroluminescence mapping
• Proficiency in reliability statistics:
  • Weibull and lognormal modeling
  • Degradation modeling
  • SPC and control charting
  • DoE
• Experience with JMP, Minitab, Python, R, and advanced data analysis using machine learning and AI tools

Leadership Competencies

• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving mindset
• High level of objectivity and data-driven decision making
• Ability to challenge assumptions constructively
• Effective communicator across technical and operational teams
• Comfortable operating in a fast-scaling environment

Desired Qualifications:

• Cleanroom semiconductor fab experience
• Environmental and mechanical reliability testing:
• Experience with the following:
• Thermal cycling
• HAST / THB
• Mechanical shock and vibration
• Optical device characterization:
• LIV curves
• Spectral / wavelength stability
• Near‑field / far‑field analysis
• Parametric drift during aging
• ESD / EOS expertise for photonic devices
• Fiber‑coupled device testing under stress conditions
• Industry visibility preferred (publications, conferences, standards committees)

Role Scope & Leveling Clarification

• This role may be filled at the Manager or Sr. Manager, based on experience, judgment, and demonstrated scope.
• All levels are expected to remain hands‑on, personally engaged in reliability analysis, qualification, and problem solving.
• Organizational build‑out will be incremental; this is not a pre‑staffed leadership role.
• Success depends on the ability to execute personally first, then scale influences and capability over time.

• Regular exposure to chemicals, lasers, high-voltage, and compressed gas hazards; all applicable EHS training and certifications required prior to independent floor access.
• On-call availability expected for critical process excursions, equipment outages, or cleanroom environmental events.
• Occasional travel to parent company headquarters, customer sites, supplier facilities, and industry conferences.

The intent of this job description is to describe the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be required to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically included in this description.

All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $117,000 - $167,000.  There are several factors taken into consideration in determining base salary, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, skills, education and experience, as well as job location and the value of other elements of an employee’s total compensation package.

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