Chief Failure Analysis Engineer

Job Title

Chief Failure Analysis Engineer

Role Summary

The Chief Failure Analysis Engineer leads advanced failure analysis to determine root causes of product performance deviations across production, customer returns, reliability stress failures, and engineering requests.

This role provides technical leadership for a Failure Analysis (FA) lab, drives continuous improvement of FA capability and throughput, and collaborates with Process, Product, Reliability and Quality teams to resolve non-conformances.

Experience Level

Senior — requires at least 10 years of experience in the semiconductor or electronics industry, preferably with significant Failure Analysis background.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include timely root-cause investigations, lab management, and cross-functional problem resolution.

• Perform advanced FA using electrical, physical, and material characterization techniques.
• Use SEM, TEM, X-ray, SAM/CSAM, EDX, FTIR and related tools for fault isolation and failure mechanism identification.
• Deliver accurate FA results within defined cycle time and turnaround targets; review and approve FA reports.
• Drive lab continuous improvement: improve throughput, tool utilization, capability, and cost performance.
• Monitor FA metrics, conduct trend analysis, and support corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Ensure compliance with EHS, ESD, and quality standards and maintain proper documentation.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and training to FA technicians and operators.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve failures, improve yield, and strengthen product reliability.

Requirements

Required technical skills and experience for successful performance in this role.

• At least 10 years of experience in the semiconductor or electronics industry with Failure Analysis experience.
• Hands-on experience with FA tools and techniques (e.g., SEM/EDX, TEM, X-ray, SAM/CSAM, laser opening, cross-sectioning, decapsulation).
• Strong knowledge of semiconductor device physics, packaging technologies, and failure mechanisms.
• Proven root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving skills (e.g., 8D, DMAIC).
• Ability to analyze and interpret electrical, physical, and material data.
• Data-driven mindset with experience in statistical analysis and tools such as Excel, JMP, or Minitab.
• Familiarity with quality systems and standards; experience maintaining EHS/ESD compliance.
• Experience in manufacturing, quality, assembly engineering, or packaging R&D is an advantage.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and technical reporting skills; detail-oriented and able to manage multiple priorities.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a related technical field. Green Belt (Lean/Six Sigma) preferred as a certification.

About the Company

Company: Nexperia

Headquarters: Cabuyao, Philippines

Nexperia is a global leader in semiconductor development with a focus on in-house production. The company boasts a strong international network and is dedicated to innovation and excellence in the semiconductor industry, providing a dynamic environment for its employees.