Sr Staff Reliability Engineer - Livermore, CA, United States
$163,400 - $214,410 USD yearly
Originally posted 2 October 2026 by the employer.
This role leads complex technical investigations and develops reliability strategies for advanced semiconductor and MEMS technologies.
About the role
The Sr. Staff Reliability Engineer provides recognized technical leadership in reliability engineering, failure analysis, product qualification, and process quality assurance. This role leads complex technical investigations and develops reliability strategies for advanced semiconductor and MEMS technologies.
What you'll do
- Lead the development and execution of reliability qualification strategies for new products, design changes, material modifications, process improvements, and manufacturing transfers.
- Define reliability requirements, risk assessments, qualification methodologies, stress conditions, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria.
- Lead complex failure analysis investigations involving product, process, manufacturing, and customer-returned materials.
- Utilize advanced analytical techniques including SEM/EDS, FIB, FTIR, X-ray analysis, cross-sectioning, nano-indentation, materials characterization, and electrical/mechanical testing to determine failure mechanisms.
- Partner with Design Engineering, Product Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to identify reliability risks and implement effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Apply statistical methodologies, including SPC, DOE, JMP, and reliability modeling techniques, to evaluate product and process performance and improve manufacturing robustness.
What you'll need
- Minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years experience.
- Strong technical expertise in semiconductor or MEMS reliability engineering, failure analysis, product qualification, and process quality.
- Demonstrated ability to independently lead technical investigations, qualification activities, and multiple concurrent projects.
- Hands-on experience with advanced material characterization and failure-analysis instrumentation, including SEM, FIB, physical sectioning, and mechanical test systems.
- Strong proficiency in statistical analysis and reliability tools, including SPC, DOE, and JMP.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interface effectively with technical teams, manufacturing organizations, and management.
Nice to have
- Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring, and driving cross-functional problem resolution.
Skills: reliability engineering, failure analysis, product qualification, MEMS technologies, process quality assurance
This role has been open 7 days — well below the 59-day median for Reliability Engineering roles.
Reliability Engineering · Reliability Engineering
|
Open roles in category
430
|
Median days open
59 d
|
Median salary
$158k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | FormFactor | All employers we track in this specialty (430 roles · 71 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 430 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 103 | 9796 · 108 employers |
| Median days open | 37 d | 59 d (−22 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $158k |
Skills observed across this category: reliability engineering, failure analysis, product qualification, MEMS technologies, process quality assurance
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 74 open roles · median 149 d
- Infineon Technologies · 30 open roles · median 44 d
- Analog Devices · 21 open roles · median 52 d
- onsemi · 20 open roles · median 67 d
- Intel Corporation · 17 open roles · median 36 d
- Renesas Electronics · 17 open roles · median 77 d
How we counted: 430 open Reliability Engineering (Reliability Engineering) roles from 71 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 9 Oct 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.