Hardware Failure Analysis Technician

RPMGlobal; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 61,992 - 68,880; Full time

Job summary

RPMGlobal, a global financial services and digital payments company, seeks a Hardware Failure Analysis Technician for a 6-month onsite contract in Oakland, CA. The role requires 3–5 years of hands-on failure analysis experience with consumer electronics and a strong grounding in electrical fundamentals.

You will set up and execute FA plans, triage field returns, document results in detail, and collaborate with design, QA, and operations teams to identify root causes and prevent recurrence.

Qualifications

• Hands-on failure analysis and root cause investigations on consumer electronics
• Disassembly/teardown of devices and good documentation practices
• Strong grounding in electrical engineering fundamentals and lab equipment
• Meticulous documentation and organization; capable of independent work

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on triage and root cause analysis on field returns, reproduce issues, and coordinate further analysis with engineering teams
• Reproduce failure modes and document steps, conditions, and results in detail
• Execute failure analysis plans and flag gaps or improvements identified during the process
• Participate in issue reviews and provide feedback on next steps to mitigate risks to product performance
• Flag potential patterns or recurring failure modes for evaluation by FA Lead
• Maintain organized tracking of all units in your queue, ensuring no items are missed

Skills

Electrical fundamentals

Failure analysis

Root cause analysis

Documentation

Self-directed

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Optical microscope

Multimeter

Data logger

Thermocouples

Job description

Our client, a global financial services and digital payments company, is seeking a Hardware Failure Analysis Technician.

This position is onsite, M-F in Oakland, CA 6-month contract. You must be in the US, no H1B Visa status. Hourly rate $45.13 + paid holidays through Talent Table. No C2C.

We are looking for a detail-oriented, quality-focused Failure Analysis Technician with 3-5 years of experience in triaging and identifying the root causes of consumer electronics failures. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience diagnosing product failures and is eager to apply those skills to failure analysis investigations, hardware disassembly, and cross-functional collaboration.

You will set up and execute failure analysis plans, monitor field returns for emerging issues, and support quality investigations requiring technical problem-solving skills. Reporting to the FA Lead, you will work closely with mechanical and electrical design engineers, quality engineers, product managers, data analysts, operations and logistics teams, and engineering program managers to understand field performance and prioritize issues.

You Will:

• 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 established by the FA Lead and flag gaps or improvements identified during the process.
• Participate in issue reviews and contribute feedback to help determine next steps, ensuring that product performance, manufacturing, and design issues are identified and risks are mitigated.
• Flag potential patterns or recurring failure modes observed across units for the FA Lead to evaluate.
• Maintain organized tracking of all units in your queue, including deprioritized work, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.

Must Have:

• 3-5 years of hands-on experience performing triage, failure analysis, and root cause investigations on consumer electronics (smartphones, tablets, POS terminals, or similar hardware).
• Working knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals (e.g., resistance, voltage, and current) and experience using lab equipment (optical microscopes, multimeters, data loggers, thermocouples, etc.).
• Experience performing teardowns and disassembly of consumer electronics devices.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort working through complex, ambiguous issues without an established process.
• Meticulous attention to documentation and the ability to recognize recurring failure patterns across multiple units.
• Self-directed within your queue—you can work through assigned units independently without requiring step-by-step instructions.
• Bonus: Experience with Snowflake, Jira, and Looker.
• Bonus: Ability to read electrical schematics.
• Bachelor's degree and/or 3-5 years of relevant experience.