New Product Introduction (NPI) and Return Material Authorization (RMA) Engineer
QualcommJob Title
New Product Introduction (NPI) and Return Material Authorization (RMA) Engineer
Role Summary
Engineer-level product quality role responsible for NPI and RMA engineering across the product lifecycle, from early development through high-volume manufacturing and customer returns analysis.
The role represents Quality on cross-functional teams, drives root-cause investigations, implements corrective actions, and improves outgoing product quality and customer satisfaction.
Experience Level
Mid-level. Guidance: approximately 3–8 years of relevant experience in NPI Product Quality, RMA, or Product Test Engineering.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities focused on product readiness, failure analysis, and cross-functional corrective actions.
- Represent Quality Engineering on NPI/core teams to ensure reliability, supplier/customer readiness, and launch deliverables.
- Collaborate with Packaging, Test, Design, and Systems teams to apply lessons learned and preventive actions upstream.
- Lead resolution of escalated quality issues in high-volume manufacturing, including factory excursions and non-conforming material disposition.
- Perform technical failure analysis on returned devices at device and system levels using tools such as ATE, X-ray, CSAM, IV curve, system-level tests, and bench diagnostics.
- Track RMA analysis cycle time, own actions/schedules, and initiate internal corrective actions when applicable.
- Act as liaison between customers, product core teams, and branch CQE to represent customer perspectives and improve satisfaction metrics.
- Drive improvements to internal quality systems to reduce outgoing DPPM and improve manufacturability.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills, domain knowledge, and interpersonal capabilities.
- 3–8 years of relevant experience in semiconductor product quality, RMA, or product/test engineering.
- Strong semiconductor quality background, including wafer fabrication, assembly, testing, and packaging processes.
- Proven ability to perform failure analysis and interpret complex failure signatures.
- Hands-on experience with quality tools, statistical analysis, CAPA, and structured problem-solving methods.
- Strong cross-functional communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication; ability to organize and present technical information clearly.
Education Requirements
Required: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics/Computer Engineering, Engineering, or a related field. Preferred: Master’s degree (MS) in a related discipline.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
