Senior Industrial Engineer–AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation
- Location
- Houston
- Workplace
- On-site
About this role
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
Qualifications
Required
Key Competencies
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 relevant industrial/manufacturing engineering experience, including ownership of complex production or repair processes.
- Demonstrated experience with:
- Time studies and labor standards
- Capacity and manpower modeling
- Line/cell balancing
- Factory/workstation layout
- Standardized work
- Lean manufacturing
- Root-cause analysis
- Continuous improvement
- Strong data-analysis capability using Microsoft Excel and similar analytical/reporting tools.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Test, Materials, Planning, IT/MES, and EHS.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing volume, priorities, and technical requirements.
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, and technical presentation skills.
- Experience with server, rack, storage, networking, electronics, semiconductor, or other high-tech manufacturing/repair environments.
- Experience supporting RMA, depot repair, field service, failure analysis, or reverse logistics.
- Knowledge of AI/HPC server architecture and high-density compute environments.
- Experience with MES, ERP, WMS, Power BI, SQL, Minitab, AutoCAD/Factory Design, or simulation tools.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification is desirable.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001, ESD controls, PFMEA, Control Plans, and high-tech manufacturing quality systems is preferred.
- Industrial engineering and operations optimization
- Capacity and labor planning
- Data-driven problem solving
- Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement
- Factory and material-flow optimization
- High-mix / variable-demand operations
- Cross-functional leadership
Tired of cold applications?
Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.
Ask your AI about this role
Connect Clera once, then ask if it fits you.
Ask about this role
Read the Senior Industrial Engineer–AI Server RMA (Field Repair) Operation listing at Foxconn Industrial Internet USA (https://www.getclera.com/jobs/fii-usa/senior-industrial-engineer-ai-server-rma-field-repair-operation-qu7vfbmwblbj) and tell me whether it fits my profile. Save it for me if it does.
Not connected yet? Takes a minute
One click above pre-fills the connector. Or by hand: Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector, paste https://mcp.getclera.com. Either way, sign in with the account you use on Clera and approve the consent screen.
https://mcp.getclera.comSign in with your Clera account. MCP docs