1

Failure Analysis Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

R&D Intern

Fremont, CA ยท On-site

$40 - $45/hr

... failure analysis. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in battery materials and ... The intern should be comfortable working across fundamental science, experimental execution, and ...

R&D Intern

Fremont, CA ยท On-site

$40 - $45/hr

... failure analysis. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in battery materials and ... The intern should be comfortable working across fundamental science, experimental execution, and ...

... failure analysis. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in battery materials and ... The intern should be comfortable working across fundamental science, experimental execution, and ...

Intern, Marketing | EAG Laboratories

Sunnyvale, CA ยท On-site

$17.50 - $23.50/hr

... failure analysis, product reliability, and ATE testing. We support clients across the product ... The intern will assist with researching target markets and accounts, identifying new leads ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Failure Analysis Intern information

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a failure analysis intern?

Success as a Failure Analysis Intern requires a solid background in materials science, engineering, or a related field, typically supported by ongoing or completed undergraduate studies. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, analytical tools like SEM/EDX, and software such as MATLAB or LabVIEW is often expected. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help interns excel in diagnosing issues and reporting findings. These abilities are crucial for accurately identifying root causes and contributing to process improvements in technical environments.

What is the difference between Failure Analysis Intern vs Failure Analysis Technician?

AspectFailure Analysis InternFailure Analysis Technician
CredentialsTypically pursuing or recent graduate with relevant courseworkUsually requires technical certifications or associate degree
Work EnvironmentInternship setting, learning-focused, supervisedOperational environment, hands-on analysis, more independent
Industry UsageCommon in manufacturing, electronics, aerospace sectorsPrevalent in similar industries, often as entry-level role

The Failure Analysis Intern role is primarily educational, focusing on gaining experience and learning industry practices. In contrast, the Failure Analysis Technician is a more hands-on, operational role requiring technical skills and certifications. Both roles are essential in quality and failure analysis processes, but they differ mainly in experience level and responsibilities.

What types of projects or tasks can a failure analysis intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a Failure Analysis Intern, you will typically assist engineers in investigating the root causes of product or component failures using a range of analytical techniques such as microscopy, electrical testing, and material characterization. Interns often help document findings, prepare technical reports, and support the implementation of corrective actions. You may also collaborate with manufacturing, quality assurance, and design teams to ensure continuous product improvement. This role provides hands-on experience with lab equipment and the chance to contribute directly to real-world problem-solving within a fast-paced team environment.

What does a failure analysis intern do?

A Failure Analysis Intern assists engineering teams in identifying, investigating, and understanding the root causes of product or component failures. They use analytical tools and laboratory equipment to examine defective materials, document their findings, and help develop recommendations to prevent similar failures in the future. Their work often involves detailed data analysis, report writing, and working closely with senior engineers to improve product reliability.
What are the most commonly searched types of Failure Analysis jobs in California? The most popular types of Failure Analysis jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Failure Analysis Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Failure Analysis Intern job openings:
Infographic showing various Failure Analysis Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 17% Internship, 59% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Fall 2026 Intern - Failure Analysis Automation Engineering

Western Digital

San Jose, CA โ€ข On-site

$19.75 - $25.50/hr

Internship

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 17 days ago


Job description

Company Description

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

Job Description

We are looking for a motivated intern to join our team and contribute to the development of failure analysis automation tools and defect detection systems. This role requires a strong foundation in machine learning, automation, and statistical process control. The ideal candidate should be proficient in ML algorithm and be pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models and algorithms to automate real-world solutions.
  • Preprocess and analyze large datasets to derive meaningful insights.
  • Design, train, and optimize machine learning models and ensure scalability for production environments.
  • Create clear documentation of workflows, models, and results.
Qualifications

REQUIRED

  • Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field with a graduation date between December 2026 and June 2027.
  • Strong proficiency in Python programming, with experience in libraries such as Scikit-learn, and TensorFlow/PyTorch for deep learning frameworks.
  • Experience with data cleaning and pre-processing techniques, ML algorithms, and statistical modeling techniques.
  • Strong understanding of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and clustering algorithm.
  • Knowledge of statistical principles, control charting techniques, and data analysis methodologies.
  • Knowledge of SQL, relational databases, cloud platforms and code version control.

PREFERRED

  • An understanding of or experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC) is preferred.

Additional Information

WD is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available HERE.

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at jobs.accommodations@wdc.com to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 10/23/2026, although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update this posting with a new anticipated application deadline.

#LI-MB1

Compensation & Benefits Details

  • An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
  • The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York.  This range may be modified in the future.
  • If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws.  You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.
  • You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD'S Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

  • We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program; employee stock purchase plan; and the WD Savings 401(k) Plan.
  • Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to WD Ethics Helpline or email compliance@wdc.com.