Failure Analysis & Reliability Engineer Capstone Green Energy is seeking a Failure Analysis & Reliability Engineer to investigate and resolve failures across its microturbine and energy solutions portfolio at the component, module, and system level. This role is responsible for conducting root cause analysis of field returns and test failures, implementing corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement in product reliability. This includes failures originating from design deficiencies, manufacturing variation, application mismatch, improper commissioning, and customer non-compliance with Capstone's prescribed maintenance schedules. The Failure Analysis & Reliability Engineer will partner closely with design engineering, manufacturing, quality, and field service teams to identify failure mechanisms, develop preventive strategies, and ensure product performance meets or exceeds reliability targets throughout the product lifecycle. This position is critical to sustaining Capstone's commitment to product quality, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence. This role requires the ability to assess and correlate failures spanning multiple technical domains — rotating machinery, power electronics, combustion and thermal systems, and field application environments — connecting symptoms in one domain to root causes in another at the full system level.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead failure analysis investigations on field returns, manufacturing rejects, and accelerated life test failures to determine root cause, failure mode, and failure mechanism across microturbine components, modules, and integrated systems including hot section parts, bearings, combustion assemblies, power electronics, and the full turbine package. Apply systematic diagnostic techniques including visual inspection, electrical characterization, thermal imaging, Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), cross-sectioning, metallurgical analysis, and other destructive and non-destructive methods suited to rotating machinery and high-temperature components. Assess and correlate failures spanning multiple technical domains including mechanical/rotating systems, power electronics, combustion and thermal systems, and field application environments; identify system-level interactions where a failure in one domain manifests as a symptom in another. Prepare detailed failure analysis reports documenting methodologies, findings, root causes, and recommended Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA); present findings to cross-functional teams and executive leadership. Analyze field return data and warranty trends to identify recurring failure patterns across Capstone's deployed fleet; distinguish between design-driven failures, externally-driven failures (application mismatch, site conditions outside Capstone's installation requirements, customer non-compliance with factory service intervals), and warranty guideline gaps to direct the appropriate corrective pathway.
Reliability Engineering:
Develop and execute reliability test plans, including Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS), environmental stress screening, and accelerated life testing, to validate design robustness of microturbine subsystems and components under conditions representative of Capstone's diverse deployment environments, including fuel quality variability, ambient extremes, and load cycling profiles across CHP, oil & gas, grid-connected, and off-grid applications. Conduct Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and Weibull analysis to identify and prioritize failure modes and assess product reliability over the intended service lifecycle. Establish and track reliability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), field failure rates, and warranty return trends; develop corrective strategies to meet published reliability targets for Capstone's product lines. Support design reviews and New Product Introduction (NPI) activities to integrate reliability principles early in the development process.
Corrective Action & Continuous Improvement:
Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to define and implement corrective actions that eliminate recurring failures in Capstone's microturbine product lines. Validate effectiveness of corrective actions through follow-up testing, data analysis, and field performance monitoring of deployed units. Drive systematic improvements to products, processes, and test protocols to reduce failure rates and enhance long-term turbine reliability and service interval performance. Maintain and improve the Failure Analysis (FA) lab's analytical capabilities; develop best practices and standard operating procedures for the examination of microturbine components.
Cross-Functional Partnership & Customer Support:
Interface with field service, customer support, and sales teams to rapidly respond to customer quality issues; communicate root cause findings internally to drive the appropriate response pathway — design corrective actions, updates to service/maintenance requirements, or revisions to warranty guidelines — and provide clear, application-specific corrective action guidance to customer-facing teams. Support warranty claim analysis and contribute to warranty cost reduction initiatives through data-driven insights into Capstone's deployed fleet performance. Partner with suppliers on component-level failure investigations and corrective action requirements; support incoming quality and supplier qualification activities. Contribute to regulatory, certification, and compliance activities related to product reliability and safety.
Qualifications Required:
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field; advanced degree a plus.5+ years of experience in failure analysis, reliability engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline in a hardware-based manufacturing environment. Demonstrated experience with high-speed rotating machinery, turbomachinery, or power generation equipment; familiarity with failure modes unique to high-speed systems (60,000+ RPM), air bearing technology, and high-temperature rotating components is strongly preferred and considered highly differentiating. Demonstrated proficiency in root cause analysis (RCA) methodologies including 5-Why, Ishikawa/fishbone diagrams, and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).Hands-on experience with reliability analysis techniques including FMEA, FTA, and Weibull analysis. Experience with failure analysis lab equipment and techniques including SEM/EDS, optical microscopy, cross-sectioning, and thermal imaging. Familiarity with accelerated life testing methodologies including HALT, HASS, thermal cycling, vibration, and humidity testing. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex technical findings to diverse audiences including executive leadership and customers.
What Success Looks Like:
Rapid, accurate root cause determination on microturbine field failures with actionable corrective actions implemented.
Measurable reduction in field failure rates, warranty returns, and repeat failure modes across the deployed fleet.
Strong cross-functional collaboration with engineering, quality, manufacturing, field service, and customer-facing teams.
Reliable, timely failure analysis reporting that supports executive decision-making and customer communication.
Continuous improvement in product reliability through proactive data analysis, fleet monitoring, and design feedback.
Work Environment:
On-site role at Capstone's Van Nuys, CA facility, with access to a hands-on failure analysis laboratory.
Regular interaction with hardware, test equipment, and prototypes in a manufacturing and test cell environment.
Willingness to work beyond a standard 40-hour workweek as project and customer needs require.
Occasional travel to customer sites or supplier facilities may be required.
Compensation:
The expected base salary range for this position is $130,000 – $175,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications.
