Are you experienced at performing product failure analysis & product design risk mitigation for standard and/or custom products? We would love to talk to you! In this role you will be responsible for promoting robust test development to evaluate product based on product design exposure. The Reliability Engineer will champion design for reliability and risk mitigation topics within product development teams. S/He must possess the communication ability, technical knowledge, creativity, and internal drive to create designs that are recognized as best- in-class in the hearing aid industry. The Reliability Engineer I must be able to work well in a team environment and have a passion for continuous improvement for our award-winning devices!

Starkey is a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of advanced hearing technologies. We are in the business of connecting people and changing lives. Our teams come to work each day focused on ensuring people everywhere have the products and services they need to hear better and live better.

Founded in 1967 by Bill Austin, Starkey is known for our cutting-edge hearing health innovations, industry-leading research and development, and not being afraid to push the edge of what’s possible.

We are headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, have over 5,000 employees in 29 facilities across the globe, and do business in more than 100 markets worldwide.

Watch this video to see more of what sets Starkey apart. 

https://youtu.be/9cUYwTlCepg?si=wkovx8_R_iINfrc6

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/RESULTS 

• Evaluate design risks both analytically and quantitatively
  • Ability to assess design failure modes through failure analysis
  • Ability to quantify failure risk by evaluating aggregate failure rates
  • Familiarity with Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for understanding a system or design risk
  • Enable continuous improvement in quality and reliability
  • Quality and reliability are built-in to product

• Perform reliability testing
  • Understand relationships between system and component failure modes and approaches for stress testing
  • Propose new testing approaches to isolate design areas of focus
  • Compile testing results into reports
  • Advise & consult with other work groups desired testing approaches to evaluate designs

• Perform failure analysis
  • Hands on approach to learning the product system
  • Understand interplay between environmental factors, applications, and design factors to determine potential failure modes
  • Ability to troubleshoot circuits is highly desirable

• Integrate with project teams to help identify areas of design risk and how to address through testing, design and/or manufacturing improvements, and/or design controls
  • Coordinate and facilitate risk evaluations as required.
  • Determine risk mitigation tasks and provide input into project timelines and schedules.
  • Provide project status updates at team meetings as required.
  • Collaborate with other cross-functional team members to create and maintain DFMEA documentation which ensures that all key areas of potential failure have been considered and addressed.

• Lead engineers or teams with indirect authority. Mentor educate and train others in failure analysis/reliability processes and techniques. May supervise 1-2 engineers/technicians.
• Perform electrical analysis/trouble shooting
  • Read circuit schematics and layouts
  • Identify root cause of failure using electronic equipment such as curve tracer, micro prober, multi-meter, oscilloscope, etc.
• Perform physical failure analysis
  • Hands-on analysis of failures
  • Identify root cause of failure using physical analysis tools
• Provide recommendations for improvement
  • Write failure analysis reports with a clear conclusion.
  • Participate in design reviews, establish quality requirements for new products based on previous experience
  • Ability to synthesize knowledge of on-going legacy issues into opportunities for design improvements
  • Use tools of DOE, Problem Analysis, SPC, and other problem-solving techniques to improve internal quality.
  • Leadership of design risk assessment and proposed mitigation in the team environment through tools like DFMEA.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education, Certification and Experience Requirements

• Education
  • 4-year bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical engineering.
  • MS degree desired.
• Experience
  • 10-15 years of experience as a failure analysis & reliability engineer in electronic/electromechanical components, subassemblies, or full assemblies is preferred.
  • 8-13 years of experience with MS degree.

Knowledge / Technical Requirements

• Knowledge of reliability principles and tests, such as environmental stress, mechanical shock, vibration, etc. required.
• Knowledge of industry standards, such as MIL-STD, IPC, JEDEC, and ASTM desired.
• Knowledge of DMAIC methodology, including root cause analysis techniques, such as DOE, fishbone diagram, and 5-why required.
• Knowledge of medical device manufacturing desired.
• Knowledge of quality systems desired.
• Knowledge of new product development systems desired.
• Strong knowledge of electrical, RF/wireless, mechanical, metallurgical, chemical, and acoustical troubleshooting failure analysis techniques desired.
• Strong knowledge of printed circuit board manufacturing, both flexible and rigid, desired.
• Strong knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing processes desired.
• Strong knowledge of microelectronic assembly processes, including surface mounting, flip chip attach, under filling, cleaning, wire bonding, and thick film technology desired.

Competencies, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills required.
• Excellent leadership and people skills required.
• Strong communication skills required.

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