Director of Failure Analysis

Our client is a leading maker of RF Front End parts including Integrated Circuit technology and Power Amplifiers for the smartphone market. They are currently seeking a Director of Failure Analysis who will specifically focus on Physical Failure Analysis. The ideal candidate will have a BSEE (or better) and have 10 years of management experience in the semiconductor industry. While we need someone who is expert in physical FA, we also need someone who understands electrical FA comprehending RF, Digital, and/or Analog IC/Amplifier technology. Client will look at an array of different technical backgrounds (i.e. semiconductors, defense/aerospace, photonics, solar/PV) as long as there is a basic comprehension of amplifier technology.

Additionally, the candidate must be able to offer new tool/equipment methodologies, as well as FA techniques (FIB, TEM, STEM, AFB, CSAM, EDAX, SEM) vs. just knowing the basics of how to use them. We also need someone who has a great personality and will have a proactive vs. reactive attitude toward problem-solving and team collaboration. This person must be able to interface with relevant vendors, as well as handle 10 direct reports. Candidate will also be occasionally communicating with other international sites.

Job description:

• Leads a team of highly technical failure analysis engineers to resolve extremely complex failures where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of multiple factors, which include electrical data and physical failure signatures.
• Exercises judgment in developing and improving electrical and physical failure analysis techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results in an expedient and cost-effective manner. Selects, justifies and buys state of the art equipment sets needed to implement failure analysis techniques. Benchmarks current and future industry trends in failure analysis techniques and keeps development of techniques and methods in line with the benchmarks and with the future technology roadmaps for wafer, packaging and assembly processes.
• Responsible for training/educating failure analysis engineers and technicians on new techniques and for cross training to propagate best practices.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining thorough failure analysis documentation.
• Makes decisions on administrative and operational matters of failure analysis organization and ensures effective achievement of operation’s objectives including failure analysis cycle times, accuracy and thoroughness leading to first pass success.
• Participates with other senior managers to establish strategic plans and objectives.
• Ensures adherence to budgets and schedules to meet corporate requirements.
• Makes decisions that have positive impact on overall success of failure analysis organization.
• Regularly interacts with internal and external customers. Interactions may involve controversial situations, negotiations, or influencing and persuading other senior level managers.
• Demonstrates assertiveness leading to effective change management, employee performance engagement. Interacts regularly with the team soliciting inputs for efficiency improvements, failure analysis techniques development and failure resolution.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering
• Master’s degree or Ph.D. preferred
• Minimum 10 years of managerial experience in semiconductor industry
• Highly technical individual with demonstrated expertise in electrical and physical failure analysis for at least 10 years.
• Must have deep understanding of the following
• Electrical circuits: Digital and analog circuits. Knowledge of RF amplifiers preferred
• Device physics: HBT, CMOS, BiHEMT, BJT devices
• Semiconductor wafer processes: GaAs based HBT, CMOS, SOI CMOS, SiGe BiCMOS
• Semiconductor packaging and assembly: LGA, BGA, multi-chip modules
• Must be a good problem solver
• Must demonstrate good interpersonal skills
• Must be a go-getter