Principal Module and FA Lead

Job Title

Principal Module and FA Lead

Role Summary

Own module integration and system-level failure analysis across mechanical, electrical, thermal, firmware, and optical/photonics domains during pre-production and early-volume phases. Act as the cross-functional focal point until ownership transfers to NPI for contract-manufacturing-driven high volume.

Lead root-cause investigations, establish integration procedures and KPIs, and build FA documentation and trend-tracking infrastructure.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Typical experience: BS +15 years, MS +12 years, or PhD +9 years in hardware failure analysis, systems engineering, or related root-cause engineering roles.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include module integration, cross-domain failure triage, and establishing FA processes that hand off cleanly to NPI.

• Serve as focal point for module integration and system-level failure triage: diagnose multi-domain issues, determine ownership, and convene the right teams.
• Own system-level integration to ensure mechanical, electrical, thermal, firmware, and optical/photonics subsystems meet specifications and resolve fit/interface/tolerance and cross-domain interactions pre-production.
• Work with NPI to establish module integration procedures, entry/exit criteria, integration test flow, and KPIs to support the pre-production-to-volume transition.
• Lead structured root-cause investigations using fishbone analysis and staged, resource-aware DOEs to triage candidate variables.
• Lead data analysis to verify hypotheses and drive countermeasures through to implemented design or process changes.
• Build and own FA documentation and trend-tracking systems from scratch.
• Define and maintain clear handoff criteria to NPI as products transition to CM-driven high-volume manufacturing.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and practical experience.

• Technical fluency across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and firmware domains; photonics/optical experience strongly preferred.
• Proven track record leading cross-domain root-cause investigations on coupled, multi-variable failure modes.
• Hands-on: personally runs test and measurement setups and follows a repeatable, structured problem-solving approach under pressure.
• Practical experience designing and prioritizing DOEs under real-world constraints (limited samples, long test cycles).
• Ability to build quick first-principles models (thermal, electrical, mechanical) to narrow hypotheses before physical testing.
• Track record of closing the loop from root cause to implemented design/process changes and standing up processes or infrastructure in early-stage environments.

Nice-to-have:

• Direct photonics/optical packaging experience (fiber coupling, wire-bond/die-attach processes, epoxy and encapsulation materials).
• Pragmatic judgment on depth vs. speed and a collaborative, root-cause-first mindset.

Education Requirements

BS (plus ~15 years), MS (plus ~12 years), or PhD (plus ~9 years) in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics/Applied Physics, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent industry experience considered. PhD candidates should have post-degree industry experience spanning multiple engineering domains rather than solely academic depth.

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.