Principal Test Engineer

Job Title

Principal Test Engineer

Role Summary

Senior individual contributor in the Performance Computing Power (PCP) business unit based in Catania, Italy. Lead definition and implementation of test strategy, methodologies, and ATE hardware for new power-management products.

Drive test development from product bring-up through production release, collaborating with Design, Product Engineering, Operations, and Quality to ensure manufacturability, coverage, and yield.

Experience Level

Senior — typically 12+ years of experience in test engineering for analog/mixed-signal or power management ICs.

Responsibilities

Deliver end-to-end test solutions and provide technical leadership across product development and production.

• Define and lead end-to-end test strategy for new products, prioritizing scalability, coverage, and cost.
• Develop test plans, DFT approaches, and ATE hardware designs; drive their adoption.
• Design and implement ATE test programs and production flows for power management ICs.
• Lead root-cause analysis and yield-improvement initiatives using statistical and data-driven methods.
• Ensure robust production release: optimize test time, coverage, and manufacturability.
• Serve as technical escalation point for customer interactions, quality investigations, and complex debug.
• Mentor and technically guide test engineers to build team capabilities.
• Contribute to test roadmap and cost-reduction initiatives through test optimization.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools, and experience.

• Extensive experience in ATE test development (examples: Advantest 93K, Teradyne/Eagle, SPEA, COHU).
• Strong knowledge of DFT techniques, test coverage analysis, and production test flows.
• Proven track record in complex product bring-up, debug, and production ramp for analog/mixed-signal or power ICs.
• Advanced data analysis skills, statistical methods, and experience driving yield optimization.
• Deep understanding of ATE instrumentation, signal integrity, and hardware design constraints.
• Experience debugging analog and mixed-signal systems, including serial interfaces.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and ability to drive cross-functional initiatives without formal people management.

Nice-to-have

• Programming skills in C/C++, Python, or similar for test automation and data analysis.
• Experience with smart power stages, multiphase controllers, and 48V system power solutions.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering is required; Master’s degree preferred. (Education-related equivalents or specific certification language not specified.)

About the Company

Company: Renesas

Headquarters: Hitachinaka, Japan

Renesas is a global leader in embedded semiconductor solutions, providing high-quality products across automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT sectors. With over 22,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the company focuses on scalable solutions that enhance user experience and drive innovation while committed to sustainability and energy efficiency.