Senior Industrial Engineer–AI Server RMA; Field Repair) Operation

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.

• 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, over processing, 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…