Engineering Manager - AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation

Engineering Manager -
AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation
Position Summary
This position is responsible for the technical performance of the RMA operation, including server diagnostics, root-cause analysis, repair process development, liquid-cooling integrity, test validation, repair yield, and customer technical escalations .
The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with hands-on factory leadership, managing engineers while partnering with Manufacturing, Quality, Test Engineering, Process Engineering, Supply Chain, Program Management, suppliers, and customer engineering teams.
The objective is clear: rapidly restore customer systems while identifying and eliminating the root causes that drive repeat failures. Key Responsibilities
Engineering & RMA Leadership
- Lead engineers supporting customer returns, RMA repair, refurbishment, and field-failure investigations.
- Establish standardized diagnostic, repair, validation, and engineering escalation processes.
- Provide technical leadership for complex AI server failures that cannot be resolved through standard troubleshooting procedures.
- Manage engineering resources based on customer severity, RMA aging, production impact, and business risk.
- Develop engineers and technicians through coaching, technical training, certification, and structured problem-solving practices.
- Drive failures through a disciplined process: symptom → reproduction → isolation → root cause → corrective action → validation → closure .
- Reduce unnecessary component replacement, repeated troubleshooting, and No Trouble Found (NTF) cases.
- Lead structured investigations using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, Pareto, FMEA, fault-tree analysis, DMAIC, and DOE , as appropriate.
- Analyze RMA and field-failure data to identify product, process, supplier, firmware, workmanship, and test-coverage improvement opportunities.
- Partner with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, suppliers, and customer engineering teams to implement permanent corrective actions.
- Provide RMA lessons learned and Design-for-Serviceability/Repairability feedback into NPI and future AI server platforms.
Key Performance Indicators
- First Pass Yield (FPY) / Repair Yield
- First Time Fix / First Time Right
- Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
- RMA Turnaround Time & Aging
- Repeat RMA / Repeat Failure Rate
- No Trouble Found (NTF) Rate
- Root-Cause & Corrective-Action Closure
- Engineering Hold Aging
Success requires balancing repair speed, technical accuracy, product quality, cost, and customer satisfaction , rather than simply maximizing repair volume. Customer & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Serve as a senior technical escalation point for critical customer and field issues.
- Coordinate containment, failure reproduction, root-cause investigation, corrective action, validation, and effectiveness monitoring.
- Lead technical reviews and communicate complex failures clearly to engineering, operations, customers, and executive leadership.
- Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Test, Process Engineering, NPI, Program Management, Supply Chain, suppliers, and customer engineering organizations.
- Ensure field-return data is translated into actionable improvements to manufacturing processes, test coverage, supplier quality, firmware, and product design.
Required Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering , or a related technical discipline.
- Equivalent relevant technical and leadership experience may be considered.
Experience
- 5+ years of engineering experience in servers, computing, electronics, networking, high-tech manufacturing, or related industries.
- 3+ years of engineering leadership or people-management experience.
- Strong experience with system-level troubleshooting, failure analysis, manufacturing, repair, RMA, NPI, or field-return operations .
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
- Experience working directly with customers, suppliers, or customer engineering organizations.
Preferred Technical Qualifications
Strong candidates will have experience with several of the following:
- AI, GPU, HPC, hyperscale, or enterprise server platforms
- GPU/CPU architecture, DDR memory, PCIe, NVMe, and high-speed networking
- BMC, BIOS, firmware, telemetry, and system-event-log diagnostics
- Liquid cooling, cold plates, QDs/QDCs, manifolds, coolant handling, flow/pressure fundamentals, and leak testing
- High-volume electronics manufacturing and RMA operations
- 8D, FMEA, SPC, DOE, CAPA, and Six Sigma methodologies
- MES, PLM, QMS, ERP, and RMA tracking systems
- ISO 9001 or similar quality-management environments
- Accelerated-computing or advanced GPU server architectures
Leadership Competencies
The successful Engineering Manager will demonstrate:
- Hands-on technical leadership and willingness to engage directly in complex debug situations
- Strong root-cause and structured problem-solving discipline
- Data-driven decision making and KPI ownership
- Ability to lead engineering teams in a fast-paced factory/RMA environment
- Strong customer focus and urgency without sacrificing technical rigor
- Effective cross-functional and supplier leadership
- Clear written, verbal, and executive-level communication
- Ability to develop engineers, technical leads, and repair technicians
Above all, this leader understands the difference between replacing the failed part, repairing the system, and eliminating the root cause .