Senior Manager, Failure Analysis - US, CA, Santa Clara
Originally posted 15 September 2026 by the employer — open 2 days.
About the role
This role leads NVIDIA's failure analysis function, conducting hands-on investigations of complex hardware and system failures, and crafting methodologies, lab capabilities, and talent to maintain product reliability.
What you'll do
- Lead and personally carry out complex, multi-disciplinary failure and root cause analysis (RCA) investigations on deployed hardware, electronic components, and coordinated systems.
- Use advanced diagnostic techniques (SEM, FIB, digital/RF test gear), lab testing, data analytics, and structured problem-solving methods to identify exact failure modes and mechanisms.
- Develop, complete, and validate corrective actions to drive product reliability at scale.
- Partner with build, manufacturing, firmware, quality, and supplier teams to communicate technical findings and resolve cross-functional issues.
- Prepare and present written reports, proposals, and presentations conveying technical conclusions to diverse audiences.
- Mentor junior engineers in FA procedures and guide the continuous development of organizational failure analysis methodologies, processes, and lab capabilities.
What you'll need
- Ph.D. or M.S. or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
- Strong theoretical and applied knowledge of structural analysis, material science, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
- Over 10 years of advancing experience in failure analysis, product reliability, and materials science, with a proven record of leading investigations on complex hardware or coordinated systems.
- 5 years of leadership experience.
- Extensive knowledge of failure analysis techniques, hazard recognition, and incident examination employing established frameworks.
- Practical experience with sophisticated lab tools such as SEM, FIB, and digital/RF test instruments.
- Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot hardware/software interactions and reproduce elusive field failure conditions in a controlled environment.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and working alongside experts in engineering, manufacturing, quality, legal, and business areas.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical findings to engineering, legal, and business audiences.
This role has been open 1 day — well below the 47-day median for Failure Analysis Engineering roles.
Failure Analysis Engineering · Failure Analysis
|
Open roles in category
187
|
Median days open
47 d
|
Median salary
$116k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | NVIDIA | All employers we track in this specialty (187 roles · 38 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 7 | 187 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 65 | 9377 · 108 employers |
| Median days open | 62 d | 47 d (+15 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $116k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 32 open roles · median 65 d
- AMD · 14 open roles · median 52 d
- Infineon Technologies · 13 open roles · median 38 d
- Lam Research · 13 open roles · median 36 d
- Intel Corporation · 11 open roles · median 33 d
- SanDisk · 9 open roles · median 23 d
How we counted: 187 open Failure Analysis Engineering (Failure Analysis) roles from 38 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 17 Sept 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family row. Figures refresh nightly.