Senior Industrial Engineer –
AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation
Position Summary
This position is responsible for optimizing the end-to-end Return Material Authorization (RMA) and field-repair operation , including product receiving, triage, diagnostics, disassembly, component repair/replacement, liquid-cooling service, system integration, testing, quality verification, packaging, and return-to-customer flow.
The Senior Industrial Engineer will use data-driven methods to improve throughput, turnaround time (TAT), labor productivity, capacity, quality, ergonomics, and operational cost while ensuring processes are scalable, safe, traceable, and repeatable.
Key Responsibilities
RMA & Repair Operations Design, optimize, and maintain end-to-end RMA workflows from receiving and triage through diagnosis, repair, testing, final inspection, and shipment .
Establish standard repair routes for common server and liquid-cooling failure modes.
Identify bottlenecks, queue time, rework loops, excessive handling, and non-value-added activities.
Develop processes capable of handling variable RMA demand, product configurations, and repair complexity.
Support field-repair requirements and translate field service issues into improved factory repair processes.
Industrial Engineering & Capacity Perform time studies, work measurement, line balancing, capacity modeling, staffing analysis, and workstation optimization .
Establish engineered labor standards and manpower requirements by repair type/product family.
Model capacity for receiving, diagnostics, repair, coolant service, testing, burn-in, packaging, and shipment.
Develop scenarios for demand ramps and changing RMA volumes.
Analyze WIP and queue levels and recommend appropriate capacity buffers.
Drive productivity improvements while maintaining product quality and technician safety.
Optimize service processes involving cold plates, manifolds, hoses, quick-disconnects, pumps/CDU interfaces, coolant handling, leak inspection, flushing/filling, and pressure/leak testing , where applicable.
Work with EHS and engineering teams to ensure safe handling of heavy, high-value server assemblies and cooling systems.
Incorporate appropriate ergonomics and material-handling solutions for racks, trays, servers, and repair fixtures.
Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement Lead Lean, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, DMAIC, and structured problem-solving activities.
Apply Pareto analysis, 5-Why, Ishikawa/Fishbone, FMEA, SPC, and root-cause analysis to operational problems.
Reduce waste associated with waiting, movement, transportation, inventory, overprocessing, defects, and rework.
Develop standardized work and visual management for critical RMA processes.
Facilitate cross-functional improvement workshops and drive actions through closure.
Factory Layout & Workstation Design Develop and maintain layouts for repair cells, diagnostic stations, test areas, WIP locations, coolant-service areas, material supermarkets, and finished-goods staging.
Define space, equipment, tooling, utilities, ESD, material-flow, and ergonomic requirements for new or expanding operations.
Optimize factory flow to minimize travel distance and unnecessary product handling.
Support introduction and qualification of new workstations, fixtures, tooling, and automation.
Data, KPI & Digital Operations Develop dashboards and operating metrics for: RMA turnaround time
Units repaired per labor hour
Repair/retest rate
WIP and aging
Queue time
Capacity utilization
Labor efficiency
On-time completion
Use production data to identify constraints and prioritize improvements based on operational and financial impact.
Partner with IT/MES teams to improve repair routing, traceability, data collection, defect coding, and electronic work instructions .
Qualifications
Required Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering , or a related technical field.
Typically, 5+ years of…