Failure Analysis Engineer / Manager x2 (Semiconductor)

Pasona Singapore Pte. Ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 34,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Pasona Singapore Pte. Ltd. seeks an experienced Manager for Failure Analysis in the HDD/media sector. You will lead a specialized FA team, conduct deep-dive investigations into defects such as protrusions, pits and corrosion, and work with Media Process Development to improve yield and reliability.

The role requires hands-on experience with SEM/EDX, FIB, AFM, and related tools, plus strong leadership to drive corrective actions and product roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Materials Science / Physics / Electrical Engineering or related disciplines with at least 8+ years HDD industry experience.
• 8D / FMEA expertise and strong root cause pursuit capability.
• Knowledge of media manufacturing processes, thin-film deposition and lubricant chemistry.
• Hands-on experience with SEM/EDX, FIB, AFM, XPS and optical profilers.

Responsibilities

• Manage and mentor a specialized FA engineering team; oversee lab operations and safety.
• Lead deep-dive investigations into media defects and their impact on drive reliability.
• Coordinate with Media Process Development and HDD Integration teams to drive yields.
• Translate microscopic/chemical data into executive summaries and roadmaps.

Skills

FA leadership

Failure Analysis

Materials characterization

SEM/EDX

FIB

Education

Master's degree in Materials Science / Physics / Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

SEM/EDX

AFM

XPS

FIB

OSA Candela / Zygo

Job description

• Conduct failure analysis on media defects affecting product yield, reliability, and customer quality.
• Perform systematic root cause investigations on qualification failures, manufacturing excursions, and customer returns (RTV).
• Correlate defect characteristics with media processes and HDD performance.
• Perform hands-on analysis using various characterization tools and techniques.
• Interpret physical, chemical, and surface-related defects to determine failure mechanisms.
• Develop and execute appropriate FA methodologies based on investigation needs.
• Work closely with Process, Evaluation, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to identify corrective and preventive actions.
• Support new product qualification and technology development activities through defect characterization and risk assessment.
• Present investigation results and recommendations to technical teams and management.
• Prepare technical reports summarizing findings, root causes, and improvement actions.
• Maintain failure analysis databases and contribute to best-practice development.
• Support laboratory operation, equipment qualification, and continuous improvement initiatives

Job Requirements - (Manager):

• Manage and mentor a specialized team of FA engineers; oversee lab operations, including equipment maintenance and safety protocols.
• Lead deep-dive investigations into media defects such as protrusions, pits, scratches, lubricant migration, and corrosion including their impact on drive-level reliability.
• Oversee the use of high-end analytical tools to characterize defects at the atomic and magnetic levels.
• Partner with Media Process Development teams to correlate FA findings with process variables. Also act as technical bridge between Media teams and HDD Integration/Customer Quality teams.
• Translate complex microscopic and chemical data into actionable executive summaries to drive both media and HDD yield improvement and product roadmaps.
• Bachelor of Degree in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related disciplines (Engineer / Senior Engineer)
• At least 4 years of related experience in Failure Analysis, Materials Characterization, Semiconductor, Data Storage, HDD, or related industries.
• Hands-on experience with several of the following analytical tools: SEM/EDX, AFM, Candela OSA, FIB, Zygo Optical Profilers will be an advantage

Requirements - (Manager):

• Minimum Master of Degree in Materials Sciences / Physics / Electrical Engineering or equivalent disciplines with at least 8+ years in the HDD industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial capacities
• Demonstrated expertise in 8D, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and ability to pursue a root cause when initial scans are inconclusive.
• Knowledge of media manufacturing processes, thin-film deposition (sputtering), carbon overcoats, lubricant chemistry, and substrate topography.
• Expert-level knowledge of advance analytical tool like SEM/EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy / Energy Dispersive X-ray), FIB (Focused Ion Beam), AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), Optical Surface Profilometry (OSA Candela, Zygo etc).

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Other applications will be updated to our database for future job opportunities.

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