Duties & Responsibilities:
• Define Failure Analysis quality standards, test methodologies, evaluation standards, documentation requirements, and reporting expectations for the team.
• Lead complex, high-impact failure investigations and technical evaluations that require coordination across Quality Engineering, Product Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and other business partners.
• Directly manage a team of Failure Analysis Technicians, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, individual development plans, and career development.
• Manage incoming requests from Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and Quality; assess business risk and urgency, establish priorities, assign resources, and monitor progress through completion.
• Set team priorities and allocate staffing, equipment, tools, supplies, and laboratory capacity to meet business needs and committed timelines.
• Oversee in-depth technical testing and product evaluations, ensuring the use of solid scientific methodologies, accurate data collection, repeatable results, and complete traceability.
• Ensure failure analysis findings are translated into clear conclusions, risk assessments, and corrective or preventive recommendations for business partners.
• Establish and maintain team metrics for workload, progress, quality, delivery, and performance; regularly communicate status, risks, findings, and recommendations to management and requestors.
• Review and approve technical reports, work instruction updates, test documentation, and other technical outputs produced by the team.
• Develop team capability through structured training, mentoring, and skill-building in testing, data collection, analysis, technical writing, and reporting.
• Partner with management and cross-functional stakeholders to identify and implement improvements in laboratory processes, request intake, reporting, training, and workflow efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement projects that improve reliability, investigation cycle time, and operational effectiveness.
• Analyze defect and failure trends, identify systemic risks, and communicate the operational or financial impact of recurring issues to leadership and cross functional stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, customer, regulatory, internal quality, and Quality Management System requirements within the assigned Failure Analysis scope.
• Create an inclusive, high-performing team environment that promotes accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.