Senior Principal GaN/SiC Reliability Engineer

Job Title

Senior Principal GaN/SiC Reliability Engineer

Role Summary

Lead reliability engineering for GaN and SiC power semiconductor products, delivering lifetime predictions, failure-mode analysis, and reliability test strategy. Work with design, quality, packaging, process and external partners to drive Design for Reliability (DfR) and close reliability gaps.

This role reports to the Head of Quality BG WIM and includes collaboration with R&D, product engineering and external research partners. Occasional travel within the EU is required (<10–20% depending on office).

Experience Level

Senior-level. Minimum 7 years of experience in power semiconductor devices, ideally with wide band gap technologies (GaN and/or SiC).

Responsibilities

Develop and execute reliability program and provide actionable lifetime and failure-mode insights.

• Develop and manage reliability test plans for GaN/SiC products and derive extrapolated lifetime for customer mission profiles.
• Design, drive and analyze accelerated life tests; extract acceleration parameters and failure distributions.
• Identify and characterize failure mechanisms; link failure modes to performance and lifetime limits via simulation and predictive analytics.
• Derive lifetime and parameter-drift models, FIT/ppm estimates, and pass/fail criteria tailored to application profiles.
• Collaborate with design, packaging, process and product teams to integrate Design for Reliability (DfR) into development cycles.
• Manage reliability testing with external partners and lead failure analysis investigations to determine wear-out mechanisms.
• Develop or improve reliability test methods and analysis techniques for wide band gap devices.
• Establish and lead external partnerships with universities, research consortia and industry working groups on reliability standards and methods.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and professional capabilities.

• Minimum 7 years of experience with power semiconductor devices; experience with GaN HEMTs or SiC devices strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of semiconductor failure modes (mechanical, electrical, thermal) and failure analysis techniques.
• Experience with reliability test-to-fail methods and reliability test equipment.
• Familiarity with international quality and reliability standards (e.g. JEDEC, AEC-Q101, AQG 324).
• Strong data analysis skills (e.g. JMP, MATLAB) and statistical analysis for lifetime modelling.
• Knowledge of wafer fab processes; assembly/process knowledge preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, influencing and team collaboration skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, resolve conflicts, build trusted internal networks and travel within EU as required.

Nice-to-have:

• Industrial experience specifically in GaN and/or SiC reliability labs or programs.
• Experience establishing external research partnerships or contributing to industry working groups.

Education Requirements

Master's degree or equivalent in Experimental Physics, Electronics Engineering or a related discipline; PhD preferred. Equivalent practical experience accepted where indicated.

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.