ESS Field Quality & Warranty Engineer

Socket.dev; Novi (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Field Quality & Warranty Engineer at A123 Systems Novi, Michigan, leads warranty investigations for deployed ESS container systems and acts as the primary customer quality representative for field service operations.

You will work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Service, Warranty, Supplier Quality, customers, and service providers to investigate field issues, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and verify repairs meet safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quality Engineering, or related technical discipline, or equivalent technical experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting high-voltage electrical products.
• Experience supporting warranty investigations, field quality, customer quality, or service quality activities.
• Experience leading or technically supporting service organizations or contractors.
• Strong knowledge of lithium-ion battery systems, power conversion equipment, industrial electrical systems, or comparable high-voltage products.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, test data, and control system documentation.
• Experience using structured problem-solving and quality tools such as 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, SPC, capability analysis, DFMEA, and PFMEA.
• Experience working with customer quality issues, RMA processes, corrective action, and failure analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical information to customers and management.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple field issues, and make sound decisions with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Lead warranty investigations for deployed ESS container systems.
• Primary contact for any warranty & quality related inquiries.
• Review field failures and determine root cause using structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, DFMEA, and PFMEA.
• Coordinate containment actions, corrective actions, and preventive actions with Engineering, Manufacturing, Service, Warranty, Suppliers, and customers.
• Manage Return Material Authorization (RMA) activities and field failure documentation for customer and field product returns.
• Analyze warranty trends, field quality metrics, and returned-product data to identify recurring product, process, supplier, or service-related issues.
• Prepare technical reports and communicate findings, risk assessments, countermeasures, and action plans to internal management and customers.
• Support warranty cost reduction initiatives through robust root cause analysis and permanent corrective action implementation.
• Oversee third-party service providers performing maintenance, troubleshooting, commissioning support, inspections, and repairs on 20-ft ESS containers in the field.
• Verify field repairs meet A123 quality standards, service procedures, safety requirements, and customer expectations.
• Conduct field audits of contractors, service partners, repair practices, documentation, and workmanship.
• Review service documentation, repair reports, inspection records, test data, and closeout packages for accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure compliance with high-voltage safety procedures, lockout/tagout requirements, PPE standards, and applicable site-specific work rules.
• Provide technical guidance and quality support during critical field repairs, escalations, and customer-impacting issues.
• Support commissioning, startup, field acceptance testing, and quality-related site readiness activities on ESS Container systems as required.
• Assist with troubleshooting of electrical, mechanical, controls, battery system, and container-level ESS issues.
• Interface directly with customers regarding field quality concerns, warranty status, corrective actions, and issue resolution plans.
• Support Engineering with design, process, documentation, and serviceability improvements based on field experience and lessons learned.

Skills

High-voltage safety

Troubleshooting

Root-cause analysis

Quality tools

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quality Engineering, or related technical discipline

Tools

Minitab

Jira

Microsoft Project

Job description

The Field Quality & Warranty Engineer at A123 Systems Novi, Michigan, leads warranty investigations for deployed ESS container systems and acts as the primary customer quality representative for field service operations.

You will work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Service, Warranty, Supplier Quality, customers, and service providers to investigate field issues, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and verify repairs meet safety and quality standards.