Senior Industrial Engineer – AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation
Position Summary
This position is responsible for optimizing the end-to-end Return Material Authorization (RMA) and field-repair operation, including product receiving, triage, diagnostics, disassembly, component repair/replacement, liquid-cooling service, system integration, testing, quality verification, packaging, and return-to-customer flow. The Senior Industrial Engineer will use data-driven methods to improve throughput, turnaround time (TAT), labor productivity, capacity, quality, ergonomics, and operational cost while ensuring processes are scalable, safe, traceable, and repeatable.
Key Responsibilities
RMA & Repair Operations
- Design, optimize, and maintain end-to-end RMA workflows from receiving and triage through diagnosis, repair, testing, final inspection, and shipment.
- Establish standard repair routes for common server and liquid-cooling failure modes.
- Identify bottlenecks, queue time, rework loops, excessive handling, and non-value-added activities.
- Develop processes capable of handling variable RMA demand, product configurations, and repair complexity.
- Support field-repair requirements and translate field service issues into improved factory repair processes.
Industrial Engineering & Capacity
- Perform time studies, work measurement, line balancing, capacity modeling, staffing analysis, and workstation optimization.
- Establish engineered labor standards and manpower requirements by repair type/product family.
- Model capacity for receiving, diagnostics, repair, coolant service, testing, burn-in, packaging, and shipment.
- Develop scenarios for demand ramps and changing RMA volumes.
- Analyse WIP and queue levels and recommend appropriate capacity buffers.
- Drive productivity improvements while maintaining product quality and technician safety.
- Optimize service processes involving cold plates, manifolds, hoses, quick-disconnects, pumps/CDU interfaces, coolant handling, leak inspection, flushing/filling, and pressure/leak testing , where applicable.
- Work with EHS and engineering teams to ensure safe handling of heavy, high-value server assemblies and cooling systems.
- Incorporate appropriate ergonomics and material-handling solutions for racks, trays, servers, and repair fixtures.
Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
- Lead Lean, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, DMAIC, and structured problem-solving activities.
- Apply Pareto analysis, 5-Why, Ishikawa/Fishbone, FMEA, SPC, and root-cause analysis to operational problems.
- Reduce waste associated with waiting, movement, transportation, inventory, overprocessing, defects, and rework.
- Develop standardized work and visual management for critical RMA processes.
- Facilitate cross-functional improvement workshops and drive actions through closure.
Factory Layout & Workstation Design
- Develop and maintain layouts for repair cells, diagnostic stations, test areas, WIP locations, coolant-service areas, material supermarkets, and finished-goods staging.
- Define space, equipment, tooling, utilities, ESD, material-flow, and ergonomic requirements for new or expanding operations.
- Optimize factory flow to minimize travel distance and unnecessary product handling.
- Support introduction and qualification of new workstations, fixtures, tooling, and automation.
Data, KPI & Digital Operations
- Develop dashboards and operating metrics for:
- RMA turnaround time
- Units repaired per labor hour
- Repair/retest rate
- WIP and aging