Maintenance & Reliability Engineer, Sr

Overview

The Maintenance & Reliability Engineer, Sr serves as the technical owner of complex production equipment and systems throughout their lifecycle. This role strategically develops and implements reliability, preventive maintenance, asset management, and lifecycle strategies that improve equipment safety, availability, maintainability, and operational performance. The Engineer, Sr leads complex reliability initiatives, supports capital equipment planning and deployment, and provides technical leadership and mentorship across Maintenance, Operations, and Engineering.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategically develop, maintain, and improve preventive maintenance procedures, standard work instructions, job plans, lockout/tagout procedures, troubleshooting guides, and technical documentation for complex manufacturing, facility, and utility equipment.
• Analyze complex equipment failures, downtime events, and recurring maintenance issues using structured problem-solving and statistical methods; lead corrective actions that improve reliability, maintainability, safety, and operational performance.
• Develop equipment criticality rankings, reliability strategies, preventive and condition-based maintenance programs, and lifecycle plans based on equipment risk, failure history, manufacturer recommendations, and operational impact.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), and other reliability improvement activities; mentor engineers and technicians in the application of reliability methods.
• Partner with maintenance technicians, operations, engineering, equipment manufacturers, vendors, and contractors to identify, prioritize, and implement equipment reliability, safety, and performance improvements.
• Establish and maintain equipment asset records, bills of materials, maintenance standards, technical drawings, and engineering documentation within the CMMS and other maintenance systems; contribute to system and documentation standards.
• Partner with Maintenance leadership on maintenance planning and scheduling strategies by defining complex job scopes, labor and parts requirements, tooling needs, maintenance frequencies, and risk-based priorities.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and maintenance technicians; validate maintenance procedures, provide technical guidance and training, and promote consistent execution of maintenance standards.
• Develop and analyze maintenance performance metrics, equipment history, reliability data, and maintenance costs to identify trends, prioritize improvement opportunities, and inform maintenance and capital planning decisions.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Operations leadership on capital and expense roadmaps.
• Lead or support deployment of new and upgraded equipment, ensuring reliability, maintainability, safety, training, preventive maintenance, spare parts, documentation, and process controls are addressed.
• Manage scope, timelines, risk, resources, and technical deliverables for assigned reliability and equipment improvement projects, including initiatives with a 12-month or longer planning horizon.
• Ensure engineering documentation, maintenance procedures, equipment standards, and reliability improvements comply with company safety policies, environmental requirements, regulatory standards, and industry best practices.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Thorough knowledge of maintenance engineering, equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, asset management, and continuous improvement principles within a manufacturing environment. Applied knowledge of reliability methodologies including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), and condition-based maintenance practices. Strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, automation, and industrial control systems used in manufacturing operations. Ability to independently develop and implement technical procedures, maintenance standards, engineering documentation, troubleshooting guides, and equipment reliability strategies. Proven analytical and structured problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate complex equipment performance, identify failure modes, and implement sustainable reliability improvements. Applied knowledge of CMMS systems, equipment asset management, preventive maintenance programs, and maintenance reporting tools. Ability to develop and analyze maintenance and operational data to inform engineering decisions, maintenance optimization, lifecycle planning, and capital investment recommendations. Effective cross-functional communication with the ability to provide clear technical recommendations and justifications, influence decisions, and drive change across diverse stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage complex priorities and projects, and provide mentorship and technical leadership to engineers and technicians. Proficiency in technical writing, document control, engineering documentation, and standard business applications.