Principal Reliability Engineer Burlington, NC, Indianapolis IN or Durham, NC The Principal Reliability Engineer is the organization's highest-level technical authority within a defined engineering discipline, responsible for setting enterprise reliability strategy and advancing asset performance across a complex global facilities portfolio. This senior individual contributor leads high-impact capital and infrastructure initiatives, ensuring systems are engineered, constructed, and maintained for maximum reliability, operational efficiency, and optimized lifecycle cost. The role partners closely with senior leadership to standardize practices and strengthen a culture of reliability across all facility types.
Job ResponsibilitiesReliability Engineering & Strategy- Define and implement enterprise reliability strategies to improve system performance and asset lifecycle outcomes.
- Conduct advanced failure analysis and root cause investigations; implement corrective and preventive actions.
- Establish asset reliability frameworks, maintenance strategies, and performance metrics.
- Lead efforts to reduce downtime, improve uptime, and optimize lifecycle costs.
- Perform audits and assessments to ensure adherence to reliability standards.
Project Engineering Leadership- Serve as the technical lead on engineering and capital projects from concept through commissioning.
- Manage engineering design, installation, and project execution activities to ensure delivery on time and within budget.
- Coordinate with contractors, suppliers, designers, and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless project delivery.
- Support a project portfolio totaling approximately $5M-$25M annually across 100 or more projects of varying complexity.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory, safety, and engineering standards.
Engineering Standards & Governance- Develop, implement, and maintain global engineering design standards and procedures to ensure consistency and quality.
- Establish and harmonize project execution standards, documentation, and processes across regions.
- Provide technical oversight and governance for design reviews and system implementations.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to engineering practices.
Subject Matter Expertise - Function as the enterprise subject matter expert for a specific engineering discipline (e.g., Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Automation & Instrumentation).
- Provide expert guidance on design, construction, commissioning, and operational performance.
- Support complex troubleshooting and resolution of critical system issues.
- Influence standards, specifications, and long-term engineering strategy within the discipline.
Leadership & Collaboration- Partner with senior leadership in Capital, Engineering, Construction, and Facilities to plan and execute prioritized initiatives.
- Mentor and guide engineers and technical teams to build organizational capability.
- Serve as a liaison between internal clients and external partners to ensure alignment and execution excellence.
- Drive a culture of reliability, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence across the organization.
Minimum Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, or related field); 5 or more years of applicable professional experience in engineering may be used in lieu of degree.
- 10 or more years of progressive experience in project engineering, reliability engineering, or facilities engineering.
- 5 or more years of experience leading complex, multi-site, or high-impact facility projects.
- 5 or more years of experience with CMMS, predictive maintenance technologies, and reliability analytics.
Preferred Qualifications- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP).
- Project Management Professional (PMP).
- 5 or more years of experience in asset-intensive or regulated environments (e.g., healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing).
Additional Job Standards- Advanced technical expertise in at least one engineering discipline (Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Automation & Instrumentation).
- Strong project management and execution capabilities.
- Strategic thinking with the ability to translate business needs into engineering solutions.
- Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills, including root cause analysis.
- Ability to influence without authority and operate as a principal-level individual contributor.
- Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Continuous improvement and standardization mindset.
- Up to 25% travel.
- Comfortable working in and around vivarium's.
Benefits: Employees regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week are eligible for comprehensive benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD/LTD, 401(k), Paid Time Off (PTO) or Flexible Time Off (FTO), Tuition Reimbursement and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Employees regularly scheduled to work less than 20 hours, Casual, Intern, and Temporary employees are only eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan. Employees who are regularly scheduled to work a 7 on/7 off schedule are eligible to receive all the foregoing benefits except PTO or FTO. For more detailed information, please click here
