Manufacturing Reliability Engineer

HSM (Hickory Springs Manufacturing) Company; Hickory (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

HSM (Hickory Springs Manufacturing) Company in Hickory, NC seeks a Mechanical Engineer to diagnose chronic downtime, reduce setup variability, and engineer fixes to improve repeatability on production equipment. You will analyze failure modes, implement permanent corrective actions, and collaborate with maintenance for durable reliability.

The role requires hands-on experience with running machinery, cross-functional teamwork, and occasional travel to supplier or site locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 5+ years in a manufacturing environment with direct equipment involvement.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems: bearings, shafts, belts, chains, fasteners, tolerances, alignment.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and permanently resolve mechanical and setup-related failures.
• Comfortable working on and around running production equipment.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with operators, maintenance, and leadership.
• Occasional international travel is a requirement.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose and eliminate chronic mechanical downtime and repeat failures.
• Identify and reduce setup variability across shifts and operators.
• Engineer mechanical fixes that improve repeatability (fixtures, hard stops, guides, datum surfaces, gauges).
• Improve machine robustness by addressing wear points, misalignment, fastener retention, and component selection.
• Analyze failure modes and implement permanent corrective actions (not temporary fixes).
• Simplify setups by removing unnecessary adjustments and operator judgment.
• Improve preventive maintenance by aligning tasks to actual failure mechanisms.
• Partner with maintenance to improve repair quality and prevent reoccurrence.
• Document standard setups and critical adjustments clearly and simply.
• Support new equipment installs and modifications with a focus on long-term reliability.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Preventive maintenance improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

• Diagnose and eliminate chronic mechanical downtime and repeat failures
• Identify and reduce setup variability across shifts and operators
• Engineer mechanical fixes that improve repeatability (fixtures, hard stops, guides, datum surfaces, gauges)
• Improve machine robustness by addressing wear points, misalignment, fastener retention, and component selection
• Analyze failure modes and implement permanent corrective actions (not temporary fixes)
• Simplify setups by removing unnecessary adjustments and operator judgment
• Improve preventive maintenance by aligning tasks to actual failure mechanisms
• Partner with maintenance to improve repair quality and prevent reoccurrence
• Document standard setups and critical adjustments clearly and simply
• Support new equipment installs and modifications with a focus on long-term reliability

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineeringor equivalent hands-on experience
• 5+ years in a manufacturing environment withdirect equipment involvement
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems: bearings, shafts, belts, chains, fasteners, tolerances, alignment
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and permanently resolve mechanical and setup-related failures
• Comfortable working on and around running production equipment
• Ability to work cross-functionally with operators, maintenance, and leadership
• Occasional international travel is a requirement

Preferred Experience

• Equipment reliability or manufacturing engineering background
• Experience stabilizing setups and reducing changeover variability
• Familiarity with failure modes, wear analysis, and root cause methods
• Experience modifying existing equipment for improved reliability (not just designing new machines)

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

At HSM, we believe that our diversity creates a productive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectionate or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

EEOC

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.