What are the responsibilities and job description for the Hardware Failure Analysis Technician position at The Planet Group?
We are seeking a detail-oriented, quality-focused Failure Analysis Technician with 3–5 years of experience triaging and root-causing consumer electronics failures. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience diagnosing why products fail and is eager to apply those skills to failure analysis investigations, hardware disassembly, and cross-functional collaboration.
In this role, you will set up and execute failure analysis plans, monitor field returns for emerging issues, and support quality investigations requiring technical problem-solving. You will work closely with mechanical and electrical design engineers, quality engineering, product management, data analysis, operations, logistics, and engineering program managers to understand field performance and prioritize issues.
Responsibilities
- Perform hands-on triage and root cause analysis on field returns, reproduce reported issues, and coordinate further failure analysis with relevant engineering teams.
- Reproduce reported failure modes and document the steps, conditions, and results in detail.
- Execute failure analysis plans and identify opportunities for process improvements.
- Participate in issue reviews and contribute technical feedback to help determine next steps while identifying and mitigating product performance, manufacturing, and design risks.
- Identify potential patterns or recurring failure modes across returned units and communicate findings to the appropriate stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate and organized tracking of all units assigned, including lower-priority work, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Required Qualifications
- 3–5 years of hands-on experience performing triage, failure analysis, and root cause investigations on consumer electronics (smartphones, tablets, POS terminals, or similar devices).
- Working knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals, including voltage, current, and resistance.
- Experience using laboratory equipment such as:
- Optical microscopes
- Multimeters
- Data loggers
- Thermocouples
- Experience performing teardowns and disassembly of consumer electronic devices.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to work effectively through complex and ambiguous technical issues.
- Excellent documentation skills with the ability to recognize recurring failure patterns across multiple devices.
- Self-motivated with the ability to independently manage workload and prioritize tasks.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Snowflake, Jira, or Looker.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electronics, or a related technical field, or
- 3–5 years of equivalent hands-on experience in failure analysis or consumer electronics troubleshooting.