Reliability Engineer

Position: Reliability Engineer

Location: Raleigh, NC

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Test, Validation & Qualification

• Develop and execute reliability and qualification test plans specific to AI-scale cable assemblies, including:
• Thermal cycling and thermal aging
• Temperature/humidity bias (THB)
• Vibration and mechanical shock
• Flex, bend, torsion, and pull testing
• Connector mating/unmating durability
• Accelerated life testing (ALT) with combined stresses

Failure Analysis & Root Cause

• Lead complex electrical-mechanical failure analysis for cable assemblies, including:

• Intermittent opens and shorts

• Signal degradation over life

• Connector fretting, corrosion, or plating wear

• Crimp, weld, or termination failures.

• Apply structured root cause methods (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) supported by:

• Electrical probing and TDR

• X-ray and micro sectioning

• Optical and SEM analysis (as applicable)

Reliability Modeling & Data Analytics

• Build life and reliability models (Weibull, Arrhenius, Coffin-Manson, Miner's rule) appropriate for cable and connector failure mechanisms.
• Correlate accelerated test results with field data to validate models and confidence levels.
• Analyze FRACAS, RMA, and deployment data to identify systemic risks across large-scale AI infrastructure.
• Understanding of FIT and MTBF software

Technical Leadership & Documentation

• Author reliability reports, qualification summaries, and launch readiness documentation suitable for executive and customer review.
• Clearly communicate reliability risks and tradeoffs in high-performance AI systems.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in reliability engineering, validation, or failure analysis for cable assemblies, connectors, or high-speed interconnects.
• Strong understanding of high-speed electrical performance and how it degrades over time and stress.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical and environmental testing of cable assemblies.
• Proven experience diagnosing intermittent and mixed electrical-mechanical failures.
• Proficiency with reliability statistics and life data analysis (Weibull, ALT correlation).
• Strong cross-functional communication and technical leadership skills.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience with AI data center or hyperscale infrastructure.
• Familiarity with high-speed copper and hybrid cable technologies (DAC, AOC, internal high-speed harnesses).
• Working knowledge of SI/PI concepts (eye margin, BER, impedance control) as they relate to reliability.
• Familiarity with relevant standards (IPC, IEC, Telcordia, MIL-STD, or equivalent).
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically, up to 20%.

Key Competencies

• Systems-level thinking across electrical, mechanical, and environmental domains
• Strong lab-based troubleshooting and root cause analysis
• Data-driven decision making under ambiguity.
• Ability to balance performance, reliability, cost, and deployment speed.
• Clear, concise technical communication