Technical Program Manager – RMA & Field Failure Analysis

ALTEN Technology USA; Irvine, Palo Alto (CA, CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

ALTEN Technology USA is seeking a Technical Program Manager for RMA & Field Failure Analysis in Irvine or Palo Alto, CA. You will lead a hybrid on-site/offshore team to triage RMAs, drive root cause analysis, and improve CAPA processes, working closely with clients and suppliers.

You’ll oversee ECU hardware debugging, embedded firmware diagnostics, and vehicle network troubleshooting, with a strong emphasis on program management, KPIs, and timely delivery of corrective actions.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in automotive electronics, incl. 3+ years leading technical teams or programs.
• Hands-on ECU hardware debugging and failure analysis: schematics, PCBA, troubleshooting.
• Embedded firmware and diagnostics knowledge: logs, DTCs, UDS.
• Understanding of CAN/CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet.
• Experience with 8D, FTA, 5-Why, RCA and CAPA.
• Lab equipment proficiency: oscilloscopes, power supplies, multimeters, CAN tools.
• Experience coordinating offshore teams.
• Excellent English communication with engineers and management.

Responsibilities

• Triage RMAs and route for on-site or offshore analysis.
• Drive root-cause investigations on ECU hardware and firmware.
• Review FTA, RCA and CAPA reports before client delivery.
• Support debug on the bench: reproduction, measurements, log extraction.
• Coordinate daily work between on-site and offshore teams.
• Track KPIs and deliver weekly scorecards and monthly reporting.
• Manage risks, escalations, and stakeholder expectations.
• Improve RMA process: templates and known-issues database.

Skills

Automotive electronics

Team leadership

ECU hardware debugging

Embedded firmware & diagnostics

Vehicle networks

Offshore coordination

Technical communication

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Power supplies

Multimeters

CAN tools

Job description

Technical Program Manager, RMA & Field Failure Analysis

On-site at client, Irvine or Palo Alto, CA

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries, we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Location: On-site at client, Irvine or Palo Alto, CA

As Technical Program Manager – RMA & Field Failure Analysis you will lead a hybrid team (on-site in California and offshore in India) performing RMA triage and field failure analysis on automotive ECUs, including Zonal, Infotainment, Telematics and Battery ECUs. You are the client’s main technical and program contact, and you make sure every returned unit moves from triage to root cause and corrective action, on time.

Responsibilities

Technical leadership

• Triage incoming RMAs and route each one: on-site analysis, offshore analysis, plant, supplier or external lab
• Drive root cause investigations on ECU hardware and firmware, alongside the engineers
• Review FTA, RCA and CAPA reports for technical quality before delivery to the client
• Support hands-on debug on the bench when needed: failure reproduction, measurements, log extraction
• Identify systemic issues and failure trends across vehicle programs

Program management

• Manage the RMA backlog and priorities with client engineering
• Coordinate daily work between the on-site and offshore teams (PST overlap)
• Track KPIs (throughput, turnaround time, backlog) and run the weekly scorecard and monthly reporting
• Manage risks, escalations and stakeholders, from engineering and quality teams to suppliers
• Structure and improve the RMA process: templates, known-issues database, automation

Requirements

• 8+ years in automotive electronics, including 3+ years leading technical teams or programs
• Strong hands-on background in ECU hardware debug and failure analysis: schematics, PCBA, component-level troubleshooting
• Solid understanding of embedded firmware and diagnostics: logs, DTCs, UDS
• Knowledge of vehicle networks: CAN/CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet
• Proven experience with 8D, FTA, 5-Why, RCA and CAPA
• Comfortable with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, power supplies, multimeters, CAN tools
• Experience coordinating offshore teams
• Excellent English communication, both with engineers and with management

Nice to have

• RMA or warranty analysis experience at an OEM or Tier 1, ideally in EV
• Knowledge of battery management systems, infotainment or telematics ECUs
• IPC-A-610, X-ray / CSAM interpretation, experience working with external FA labs
• Python scripting for log analysis
• PMP or equivalent certification

Salary Range: Salary $130k - $160k

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, training, and experience

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

As set forth in ALTEN Technology USA’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.