Senior Reliability Engineer – Power Semiconductor Reliability
Renesas Electronics · Goleta, CA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Reliability
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 4 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior reliability role at Renesas Electronics (industrial) in Goleta, CA.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Reliability Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $115k–$165k.
Median of the low and high ends of 58 live postings that list pay, out of 102 reliability engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 101 other live reliability postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $115k–$165k, from 58 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 77%
- FMEA 48%
- New product launch 47%
- Automation 36%
- DOE 25%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 24%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at Renesas Electronics
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from Renesas ElectronicsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
into test systems and execute testing.
- ✓Design experiments to identify and characterize semiconductor failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
- ✓Develop and assess Early Life Failure Rate (ELFR) and related early-life reliability testing methodologies.
- ✓Translate accelerated reliability test results into use-condition lifetime predictions and mission-profile-based reliability assessments.
- ✓Investigate reliability failures and work with failure analysis, design, process, product, and manufacturing engineering teams to understand root cause and reliability risk.
- ✓Provide technical guidance on the reliability implications of new device structures, materials, processes, and product applications.
- ✓Prepare and publish technical white papers and articles for peer review covering semiconductor reliability, accelerated testing, failure mechanisms, and related areas.
- ✓Present technical work at reliability conferences, workshops, and other industry forums.
- ✓Participate in industry standards organizations and technical committees, including JEDEC and AEC, and contribute to the development and improvement of semiconductor reliability and qualification standards.
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Reliability Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Master’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Renesas is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to support the development, qualification, and reliability assessment of advanced power semiconductor products. This position requires a strong background in semiconductor reliability, device physics, accelerated life testing, and failure mechanisms.
The successful candidate will develop and execute reliability characterization strategies, establish acceleration models, translate accelerated test results to application mission profiles, and support qualification of products for industrial and automotive applications. Experience with power semiconductor devices and wide-bandgap technologies is highly desirable, with GaN experience strongly preferred.
The position will also serve as a technical representative for Renesas through industry standards activities, technical publications, peer-reviewed articles, and presentations at reliability-related conferences.
- •Develop reliability characterization strategies and accelerated life test methodologies for semiconductor devices, including switching accelerated lifetime (SALT), and partner with Test Engineering to translate reliability