Principal Engineer, Reliability Engineering

Company Description

Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we’re living in and that we have the power to shape.

Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality.

Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Reliability Engineer with expertise in product reliability testing, thermal chamber operations, and automated test script development. A background in Solid State Drive (SSD) reliability is preferred. The successful candidate will possess a deep understanding of reliability testing methodologies, root cause analysis, and test infrastructure debugging. This role involves close collaboration with product development, validation, and quality teams to ensure products meet rigorous reliability and environmental stress requirements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and implement reliability test plans, with a primary focus on thermal stress methodologies such as Highly Accelerated Stress Test (HAST), thermal cycling, high-temperature storage, and thermal humidity bias.
• Develop, debug, and maintain automated test scripts (e.g., Python, Bash, or equivalent) to support IO and environmental stress tests, as well as data collection.
• Analyze test results to identify failure mechanisms, degradation trends, and recommend corrective actions.
• Lead root cause analysis investigations and collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive corrective actions and preventive measures.
• Document test procedures, results, and engineering findings through comprehensive technical reports.
• Define and establish operational requirements for environmental chambers to support NVMe SSD testing in alignment with evolving PCIe and NVMe specifications.
• Collaborate with third-party vendors and facilities teams to plan, construct, and maintain reliability testing labs and associated infrastructure.
• Proactively plan and execute test infrastructure upgrades to address evolving product and technology demands.
• Operate, monitor, and maintain thermal chambers, including setup, calibration, and real-time troubleshooting during testing cycles.

Qualifications

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in reliability engineering or closely related fields.
• Comprehensive experience with environmental stress testing methodologies(e.g., HAST, thermal cycling, high-temperature storage, and thermal humidity bias) and thermal chamber operations/ maintenance.
• Proficiency in writing and debugging scripts in languages such as Python and Bash, as well as handling test automation tools.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects from planning through implementation.
• Familiarity with hardware/firmware debugging and root cause analysis techniques.
• On-site work availability in Milpitas, California, United States.

SKILLS:

• Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills.

PREFERRED:

• Experience with Solid State Drives (SSDs), semiconductors, or electronic hardware testing.
• Knowledge of industry standards such as JEDEC, Telcordia, and MIL-STD.
• Proficiency in reliability engineering principles, practices, and predictive tools/software.

Additional Information

Sandisk is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sex