Failure Analysis Manager (HDD Manufacturing Industry)

GMP Technologies; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

GMP Technologies (S) Pte Ltd in Singapore is recruiting a Failure Analysis Manager for the HDD manufacturing sector. The role leads a specialized FA engineering team, oversees lab operations, and drives deep-dive investigations into media defects affecting drive reliability.

You will coordinate with Media Process Development and HDD/Customer Quality teams, translating complex data into actionable summaries to steer yield improvements and product roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Masters or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8–10 years in the HDD industry with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated expertise in 8D, FMEA, and root cause analysis.
• Experience in JMP, Minitab, or Python for statistical analysis and defect mapping.
• Solid understanding of media manufacturing processes, thin-film deposition, carbon overcoats, lubricant chemistry, and substrate topography.
• Expert-level knowledge of SEM/EDX, FIB, AFM, XPS, and Optical Surface Profilometry (OSA Candela, Zygo).

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a specialized team of FA engineers; oversee lab operations, including equipment maintenance and safety protocols.
• Root Cause Investigation: Lead deep-dive investigations into media defects and their impact on drive-level reliability.
• Advanced Diagnostics: Oversee the use of high-end analytical tools to characterize defects at atomic and magnetic levels.
• Cross-Functional Synergy: Partner with Media Process Development teams to correlate FA findings with process variables; act as a technical bridge between Media and HDD teams.
• Strategic Reporting: Translate complex data into executive summaries to drive yield improvement and roadmaps.

Skills

8D

FMEA

Root cause analysis

JMP

Minitab

Python

SEM/EDX

FIB

AFM

XPS

OSA Candela

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

JMP

Minitab

Python

SEM/EDX

FIB

AFM

XPS

OSA Candela

Zygo

Job description

Failure Analysis Manager (HDD Manufacturing Industry)

Job Openings Failure Analysis Manager (HDD Manufacturing Industry)

About the job Failure Analysis Manager (HDD Manufacturing Industry)

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a specialized team of FA engineers; oversee lab operations, including equipment maintenance and safety protocols
• Root Cause Investigation: Lead deep-dive investigations into media defects such as protrusions, pits, scratches, lubricant migration, and corrosion including their impact on drive-level reliability.
• Advanced Diagnostics: Oversee the use of high-end analytical tools to characterize defects at the atomic and magnetic levels.
• Cross-Functional Synergy: 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.
• Strategic Reporting: Translate complex microscopic and chemical data into actionable executive summaries to drive both media and HDD yield improvement and product roadmaps.

Requirements

• Masters or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 8-10years in the HDD industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial capacity.
• Demonstrated expertise in 8D, FMEA,and root cause analysis.
• Experience in JMP, Minitab, or Python for statistical analysis and defect mapping.
• Solid understandingof media manufacturing processes, thin-film deposition (sputtering), carbon overcoats, lubricant chemistry, and substrate topography.
• Expert-level knowledge of analytical tool like SEM/EDX, FIB, AFM, XPS, Optical Surface Profilometry (OSA Candela, Zygo etc).
• Understanding of HDD Channel Physics, Servo Systems, Head-Disk Interface (HDI), magnetic recording physics (PMR/HAMR), and the characteristics of glass and aluminum substrates.

GMP Technologies (S) Pte Ltd | EA Licence 11C3793 | EA Personnel: Novita Widjaja | Registration No: R22105960

This is in partnership with the Employment and Employability Institute Pte Ltd (e2i).

e2i is the empowering network for workers and employers seeking employment and employability solutions. e2i serves as a bridge between workers and employers, connecting with workers to offer job security through job-matching, career guidance and skills upgrading services, and partnering employers to address their manpower needs through recruitment, training, and job redesign solutions. e2i is a tripartite initiative of the National Trades Union Congress set up to support nation-wide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives.

By applying for this role, you consent to GMP Recruitment Services (S) Pte Ltds PDPA and e2is PDPA.