Failure Analysis Manager (HDD Manufacturing Industry)

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a specialized team of FA engineers; oversee lab operations, including equipment maintenance and safety protocols
• Root Cause Investigation: Lead deep-dive investigations into media defects such as protrusions, pits, scratches, lubricant migration, and corrosion including their impact on drive-level reliability.
• Advanced Diagnostics: Oversee the use of high-end analytical tools to characterize defects at the atomic and magnetic levels.
• Cross-Functional Synergy: Partner with Media Process Development teams to correlate FA findings with process variables. Also act as technical bridge between Media teams and HDD Integration/Customer Quality teams.
• Strategic Reporting: Translate complex microscopic and chemical data into actionable executive summaries to drive both media and HDD yield improvement and product roadmaps.

Requirements

• Masters or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 8-10 years in the HDD industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial capacity.
• Demonstrated expertise in 8D, FMEA, and root cause analysis.
• Experience in JMP, Minitab, or Python for statistical analysis and defect mapping.
• Solid understanding of media manufacturing processes, thin-film deposition (sputtering), carbon overcoats, lubricant chemistry, and substrate topography.
• Expert-level knowledge of analytical tool like SEM/EDX, FIB, AFM, XPS, Optical Surface Profilometry (OSA Candela, Zygo etc).
• Understanding of HDD Channel Physics, Servo Systems, Head-Disk Interface (HDI), magnetic recording physics (PMR/HAMR), and the characteristics of glass and aluminum substrates.

GMP Technologies (S) Pte Ltd | EA Licence 11C3793 | EA Personnel: Novita Widjaja | Registration No: R22105960

This is in partnership with the Employment and Employability Institute Pte Ltd (e2i).

e2i is the empowering network for workers and employers seeking employment and employability solutions. e2i serves as a bridge between workers and employers, connecting with workers to offer job security through job-matching, career guidance and skills upgrading services, and partnering employers to address their manpower needs through recruitment, training, and job redesign solutions. e2i is a tripartite initiative of the National Trades Union Congress set up to support nation-wide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives.

By applying for this role, you consent to GMP Recruitment Services (S) Pte Ltds PDPA and e2is PDPA.