R&D Engineer

Sun Technologies; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance in compliance with 4

401(k)

Sick leave in compliance with laws

Job summary

Sun Technologies is seeking an experienced Power & Interface IC Supply Chain R&D Engineer for a fully remote U.S. role. You will own supplier qualification, manage OSAT partners, and ensure capacity, quality, and reliability for power and interface ICs powering data-center SSDs.

You will coordinate technical reviews, drive containment and re-qualification efforts, and collaborate with Hardware Design, Quality, and Logistics to mitigate risks and optimize supply chain performance.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.
• 5+ years in semiconductor supply chain R&D or hardware/reliability engineering.
• 2+ years sourcing/qualification experience in power management or analog/mixed-signal ICs.

Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and manage power and interface IC supplier base and OSAT partners.
• Track supplier performance: OTD, quality, yield, reliability, responsiveness.
• Lead DRY processes: 8D root-cause analysis, containment, re-qualification with suppliers/OSATs.
• Represent supply chain in NPI reviews and coordinate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Semiconductor supply chain

Power & interface ICs

NPI program coordination

international collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

OSAT familiarity

Qualification testing

Job description

: ESD , HAST , HTOL , JEDEC , OSAT , Semiconductor

Location

• : 100% Remote
• , 100% Remote

Duration

: Expected 12 month contract with possible extension

Job Description

Pay Rate: $50-53/hr the pay rate may differ depending on your skills, education, experience, and other qualifications.

Featured Benefits:

• Medical Insurance in compliance with the ACA
• 401(k)
• Sick leave in compliance with applicable state, federal, and local laws

Job Description

Client is seeking an experienced Power & Interface IC Supply Chain R&D Engineer to serve as the technical owner of our power management and interface IC supply base. In this fully remote U.S. role, you will develop, qualify, and manage relationships with power and interface IC suppliers and their OSAT partners to ensure capacity, quality, and reliability objectives are met for the components that power and connect Client’s data-center SSDs.

You will own the component qualification matrix and technical qualification gates, and act as Client’s trusted escalation partner to the SQE organization when cross-functional expertise is needed— coordinating rapid containment, 8D root-cause analysis, and re-qualification with supplier and OSAT process teams. You will champion DFM and design-for-reliability feedback loops between Client’s hardware and package design teams and supplier applications/process organizations.

Success requires deep technical fluency in analog and mixed-signal IC technology, power delivery, high-speed interface signaling, and component qualification flows, along with a strong dual-sourcing and risk-mitigation mindset. You will represent power and interface IC supply chain in NPI program reviews and interface routinely with Hardware Design Engineering, Signal/Power Integrity, Package Engineering, Quality, Logistics, and supplier/OSAT counterparts.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Fully remote, home-based role open to candidates located anywhere in the United States. A dedicated home office with reliable high-speed internet is expected; proximity to a major airport is preferred to support travel.
• Travel: ~20%, including periodic domestic travel to Client HQ (Rancho Cordova, CA) for NPI and program reviews, plus international travel to IC suppliers and OSAT partners in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan for qualification builds, capacity reviews, technical reviews, and excursion containment.
• Working hours: Flexible, anchored to the candidate’s U.S. time zone, with flexibility expected for periodic early-morning or late-evening syncs with suppliers, OSATs, and SK hynix stakeholders across Asia time zones.
• Must have unrestricted legal right to work in the United States. This role may be subject to U.S. export-control requirements; certain positions require the ability to access technology controlled under U.S. export regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

Supplier Technical Management

• Develop, qualify, and manage a base of power and interface IC suppliers and their OSAT partners to ensure technical capacity, quality, and reliability targets are met.
• Establish and maintain technical supplier scorecards tracking OTD, quality (PPM/DPPM), yield, reliability, and responsiveness.
• Drive continuous-improvement initiatives with strategic suppliers and OSATs to improve yield and cycle time.
• Manage dual-source and second-source strategies to mitigate single-source risk and ensure component supply resilience.

New Product Introduction (NPI)

• Coordinate technical reviews between Client hardware/package design teams and supplier applications and process teams; manage device selection, process/technology, and package/revision trade-offs against reliability, yield, and schedule.

Quality, Reliability, and Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering on power and interface IC excursions: containment, 8D root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and re-qualification with supplier and OSAT process teams.
• Champion DFM and design-for-reliability feedback loops between suppliers/OSATs and Client hardware and package design teams.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Represent power and interface IC supply chain in NPI program reviews.
• Interface routinely with Hardware Design Engineering, Signal/Power Integrity, Package Engineering, IC suppliers (e.g., PMIC and interface-IC vendors), OSATs (ASE, Amkor, Powertech, SPIL), Quality, Logistics, and SK hynix counterparts.
• Serve as Client’s escalation lead for power and interface IC supply issues, bridging U.S. design/operations stakeholders with Asia-based suppliers and OSAT partners across time zones and cultural contexts.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Experience: 5+ years in semiconductor supply chain R&D, component/product engineering, or hardware/reliability engineering, with at least 2 years of direct exposure to power management or interface/analog-mixed-signal IC sourcing or qualification.
• Technical knowledge: Analog and mixed-signal IC technology; power delivery and PMIC/regulator fundamentals; high-speed interface signaling (e.g., PCIe/NVMe re-timers, re-drivers, level shifters) and signal/power integrity. Nice to have understanding of component qualification and reliability methods (HTOL, HAST/uHAST, temperature cycling, ESD/latch-up, JEDEC reliability).
• Assembly/test knowledge: Familiarity with OSAT assembly and final-test flow and how process and test quality impact downstream yield and field reliability.
• Communication: Able to present supply risk and recommendations clearly to senior leadership and to coordinate effectively with international suppliers across time zones.
• Remote effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to work independently and stay aligned in a distributed, remote environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering (electrical, materials, or related field).
• Direct experience with PMICs, voltage regulators, load switches, level shifters, re-timers/re-drivers, or other power and interface ICs used in storage, server, or networking hardware.
• Established working relationships with tier-1 power and interface IC suppliers and OSATs in the U.S., Taiwan, Korea, or Japan.
• Familiarity with Client’s product families and SSD hardware/power architecture requirements.
• Conversational Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean — a plus for engagement with Asia-based suppliers and OSAT partners.
• Prior experience collaborating remotely across U.S. and Asia time zones with international semiconductor partners.