Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, or robotics engineering, or a related field
3+ years of experience in reliability engineering or related roles focused on uptime
Proven ownership of reliability performance for automated industrial systems
Hands-on experience with reliability methods like FMEA and root cause analysis
Understanding of PLC and SCADA architectures and their impact on reliability
Strong troubleshooting skills for hardware and automation issues
Ability to work on-site and lift up to 50 lbs
Responsibilities
Own availability and uptime targets for autonomous production systems
Analyze downtime logs and failure data to identify repeat failure modes
Conduct FMEAs and root cause investigations for reliability issues
Set up and report reliability KPIs like MTBF and MTTR
Collaborate with engineers on automation architecture and fail-safe logic
Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs
Support commissioning of new systems with a focus on long-term reliability
Benefits
Opportunity to work in a cutting-edge defense manufacturing startup
Engagement in a mission-critical role with significant impact on production efficiency
Hands-on work in a dynamic lab and plant environment
Potential for career growth in a rapidly evolving industry
Participation in a venture-backed company with equity options
Full Job Description
Reliability Engineer - Keep Autonomous Defense Production Plants Running Around the Clock
Waltham, MA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
A venture-backed defense manufacturing startup is developing skid-mounted, highly automated production systems that make the energetic materials used in U.S. and allied munitions. These plants are designed to run continuously with very little human intervention, which makes uptime one of the most important numbers in the business. The company is adding a Reliability Engineer to its core engineering team to own that number.
You will be responsible for understanding how often and why production systems stop, then removing the cause. The work spans failure data analysis, hardening of controls and automation architectures, and the maintenance and monitoring programs that make lights-out operation possible. This seat suits an engineer who has already carried uptime for an automated industrial system and naturally reasons in failure modes, MTBF, and preventive maintenance.
Job Duties
Own availability and uptime targets for continuously operating, autonomous production systems
Mine downtime logs, failure data, and maintenance history to find repeat failure modes across mechanical, controls, and automation subsystems
Run FMEAs, root cause investigations, and corrective and preventive actions for any failure that affects reliability
Set up and report reliability KPIs such as MTBF, MTTR, and availability, and build improvement plans against them
Collaborate with controls and automation engineers on PLC/SCADA architecture, sensor redundancy, and fail-safe logic that supports lights-out operation
Build preventive and predictive maintenance programs, including condition monitoring and sensor-driven early warning of failures
Work with mechanical, process, and controls teams early in new system design to remove failure points before hardware is built
Support commissioning and ramp-up of new systems with an eye on long-term reliability, beyond day-one performance
Lead post-incident reviews and confirm corrective actions are implemented and effective
Maintain failure databases, reliability documentation, and audit-ready records
Contribute to test plans, engineering design reviews, and technical documentation
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, or robotics engineering, or a related field
3+ years of experience in reliability engineering, maintenance engineering, or controls and automation roles centered on uptime
Proven end-to-end ownership of reliability or uptime performance for an automated industrial system
Hands-on use of reliability methods and metrics, including FMEA, root cause analysis, MTBF, and MTTR
Working understanding of PLC and SCADA architectures and how automation design decisions affect reliability
Quick, rigorous troubleshooting of hardware and automation problems
Comfortable working hands-on in lab, fabrication, and plant settings, and able to lift up to 50 lbs
U.S. person status and eligibility to obtain a U.S. security clearance
Ability to work on-site and travel between sites as needed
Preferred Experience
Building predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, or sensor-based fault detection programs
Experience with Ignition SCADA, Siemens TIA Portal, or comparable automation platforms
Familiarity with functional safety and reliability standards such as IEC 61508 or ISO 13849
Background in continuous process plants or other autonomous, lights-out manufacturing environments
Experience in defense, aerospace, energetics, or other regulated manufacturing
