Principal Module and FA Lead

Job Title

Principal Module and FA Lead

Role Summary

Lead module integration and system-level failure analysis during pre-production and early-volume phases, covering mechanical, electrical, thermal, firmware, and optical/photonics domains. Act as the technical owner for cross-domain integration, root-cause investigations, and establishing failure-analysis (FA) infrastructure prior to handoff to NPI and contract manufacturing.

Experience Level

Senior role. Senior-level technical leadership with significant industry experience across multiple engineering domains; specific years-of-experience guidance is summarized under Education Requirements.

Responsibilities

Accountable for integrating subsystems, diagnosing cross-domain failures, and establishing FA processes and metrics for the pre-production-to-volume transition.

• Serve as focal point for module integration and system-level failure triage across domains; diagnose multi-domain issues and convene cross-functional teams to resolve them.
• Own system-level integration activities to ensure mechanical, electrical, thermal, firmware, and optical subsystems meet specification; resolve fit, interface, tolerance stack-up, and cross-domain interaction issues.
• Define integration procedures, entry/exit criteria, integration test flow, and KPIs jointly with NPI for smooth handoff to contract-manufacturing-driven volume.
• Lead structured root-cause investigations using fishbone analysis and staged, resource-aware design of experiments (DOE).
• Perform and direct data analysis to verify hypotheses and drive corrective actions through to design or process changes.
• Design and maintain FA documentation and trend-tracking systems from scratch; track repeat failure modes and mitigation status.
• Define and maintain clear handoff criteria to NPI as products transition from pre-production to high-volume manufacturing.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and proven practices for cross-domain failure analysis in hardware products.

• Technical fluency across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and firmware domains; photonics/optical experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience leading cross-domain root-cause investigations on coupled, multi-variable failure modes.
• Hands-on, methodical approach: personally run test and measurement setups and follow repeatable, structured problem-solving methods under pressure.
• Practical experience designing and prioritizing DOEs under constraints (limited samples, long test cycles, many variables).
• Ability to build quick first-principles models (thermal, electrical, mechanical) to narrow hypotheses before committing to physical tests.
• Track record of driving root causes to implemented design or process changes and establishing processes or infrastructure in early-stage or resource-constrained environments.

Nice-to-have:

• Direct photonics/optical packaging experience (fiber coupling, wire-bond/die-attach, encapsulation materials).
• Pragmatic judgment on depth vs. speed when choosing corrective actions under schedule pressure.
• Collaborative, root-cause-first mindset rather than a purely compliance or enforcement approach.

Education Requirements

Degree plus senior experience expected: Bachelor of Science + ~15 years, MS + ~12 years, or PhD + ~9 years in hardware failure analysis, systems engineering, or related root-cause engineering roles. Relevant fields: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics/Applied Physics, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, or related technical fields. PhD holders should have post-degree industry experience spanning multiple engineering domains.

About the Company

Company: Xscape Photonics

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States

Developer of integrated photonics solutions and instrumentation, specializing in photonic circuits, control systems, and test methodologies for optical communication and sensing applications. Works on device integration, control algorithms, and validation of photonic hardware and firmware.