Manager, Failure Analysis - Level 4 (People Leader)

Location: Smyrna, TN (Onsite 5 days/week)

Asurion is the global leader in technology support and protection. Innovation and dedication to delighting customers have made it the preferred provider of technology protection to the world's largest wireless carriers, trusted retailers, and popular device manufacturers. Asurion's 17,000 global employees support its 280 million consumers with an award-winning experience delivered through products and services that have set the standard in the industry.

Summary of Job:

The Manager, Failure Analysis is a senior quality people leader within the Global Quality Engineering organization, responsible for setting direction and leading a team of Failure Analysis Technicians. The role oversees the intake, prioritization, execution, and communication of technical evaluations and failure investigations supporting Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and Quality stakeholders. This position is accountable for scientifically sound testing, data-driven analysis, complete documentation, root-cause determination, and actions that improve Quality and Delivery.

Reporting to a Senior Manager, the Manager, Failure Analysis defines failure analysis standards and team operating practices, translates business and quality priorities into team objectives, and ensures work is completed safely, accurately, and on time. This role combines quality leadership and technical oversight with direct people leadership, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, individual development planning, resource planning, and team capability building.

This role operates at the intersection of quality, technology, execution, and organizational capability - balancing quality ownership, technical depth, technician development, project delivery, and cross-functional leadership to provide actionable failure insights and sustainable operational improvements across Asurion.

This is a full-time, on-site, exempt position.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Define Failure Analysis quality standards, test methodologies, evaluation standards, documentation requirements, and reporting expectations for the team.

• Lead complex, high-impact failure investigations and technical evaluations that require coordination across Quality Engineering, Product Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and other business partners.

• Directly manage a team of Failure Analysis Technicians, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, individual development plans, and career development.

• Manage incoming requests from Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and Quality; assess business risk and urgency, establish priorities, assign resources, and monitor progress through completion.

• Set team priorities and allocate staffing, equipment, tools, supplies, and laboratory capacity to meet business needs and committed timelines.

• Oversee in-depth technical testing and product evaluations, ensuring the use of solid scientific methodologies, accurate data collection, repeatable results, and complete traceability.

• Ensure failure analysis findings are translated into clear conclusions, risk assessments, and corrective or preventive recommendations for business partners.

• Establish and maintain team metrics for workload, progress, quality, delivery, and performance; regularly communicate status, risks, findings, and recommendations to management and requestors.

• Review and approve technical reports, work instruction updates, test documentation, and other technical outputs produced by the team.

• Develop team capability through structured training, mentoring, and skill-building in testing, data collection, analysis, technical writing, and reporting.

• Partner with management and cross-functional stakeholders to identify and implement improvements in laboratory processes, request intake, reporting, training, and workflow efficiency.

• Drive continuous improvement projects that improve reliability, investigation cycle time, and operational effectiveness.

• Analyze defect and failure trends, identify systemic risks, and communicate the operational or financial impact of recurring issues to leadership and cross functional stakeholders.

• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, customer, regulatory, internal quality, and Quality Management System requirements within the assigned Failure Analysis scope.

• Create an inclusive, high-performing team environment that promotes accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong technical knowledge of failure analysis, testing and evaluation, structured root-cause analysis, and data interpretation within manufacturing, repair, distribution, or supply chain environments.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop technician-level teams while maintaining strong technical standards and accountability for results.

• Advanced project management, prioritization, resource planning, and risk-mitigation skills, with the ability to oversee multiple investigations and projects simultaneously.

• Strong technical documentation and reporting capability, including the ability to convert complex data into clear findings, recommendations, and executive-level communications.

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and cross-functional communication skills, including collaboration across local and global teams.

• Ability to evaluate and implement tools, technologies, test methods, and workflow improvements that expand Failure Analysis capability and efficiency.

• Effective interviewing, selection, coaching, and performance-management skills for building a diverse, high-performing team.

Behavioral Dimensions

• Quality and Technical Authority - Recognized leader whose judgment shapes failure analysis methods, investigative direction, technical conclusions, and quality decisions.

• Strategic Alignment - Aligns Failure Analysis priorities and capabilities with long-term quality, operational, and business objectives.

• People Leadership - Builds and leads a high-performing technician team through hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development.

• Team Accountability - Owns team outcomes, including investigation quality, delivery, documentation, stakeholder communication, and continuous improvement.

• Change Leadership - Drives adoption of standardized methods, tools, work instructions, reporting practices, and laboratory processes.

• Enterprise Thinking - Considers cross-site, supplier, product-lifecycle, and customer implications when prioritizing work and recommending actions.

Manager, Failure Analysis Specialty Responsibilities

• Own the operating performance and technical capability of the assigned Failure Analysis laboratory or team.

• Translate enterprise quality objectives into Failure Analysis performance targets, execution plans, and development priorities.

• Standardize investigation workflows, test practices, reporting formats, and documentation requirements across the assigned scope.

• Maintain visibility to request backlog, aging, capacity, resource constraints, and delivery risks; implement recovery plans when performance is off target.

• Partner with Engineering, Procurement, Operations, and Quality teams to mitigate product, supplier, and process risk based on Failure Analysis findings.

• Build succession plans and technical depth across the team to reduce single points of failure and sustain critical laboratory knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Engineering, Science, Technology, or a related technical field required; equivalent relevant technical experience may be considered.

• 10 or more years of progressive experience in quality, failure analysis, manufacturing, repair, distribution, supply chain, or a related technical environment.

• Demonstrated experience leading technician or technical laboratory teams, including hiring, performance management, development planning, and resource allocation.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex failure investigations and structured root-cause analysis across multiple functions.

• Strong cross-functional leadership, technical writing, presentation, and executive communication skills.

• ASQ certification (CQE, CQA, CMQ/OE) or relevant failure analysis or reliability certification preferred.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Ability to work in laboratory and operational environments that may require extended periods of standing or sitting, bending, lifting, close visual inspection, and adjustment of visual focus based on business needs.

• May be exposed to noise, dust, temperature variation, chemicals, automated machinery, moving equipment, metals, plastics, sharp-edged tools or materials, and overtime or shift-work demands; compliance with all safety and personal protective equipment requirements is expected.

• Other duties as assigned.