Principal Maintenance and Reliability Engineer

Waters Corporation; Taunton (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation in Taunton, MA is seeking a Principal Maintenance and Reliability Engineer to lead the asset management and reliability program for a chemical manufacturing site. You will oversee Mechanical Integrity, calibration, and maintenance optimization while collaborating with engineering and tech support to drive improvements.

You will manage external contractors, apply reliability tools (RCM, FMEA, RCA), and ensure safety and regulatory compliance across processes and equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial engineering with a minimum of ten years in a maintenance and reliability function.
• Minimum of 5 years overseeing mechanical reliability in a complex chemical manufacturing facility.
• Significant experience implementing OSHA PSM (Process Safety Management).
• Detailed working knowledge of ASME, NFPA, API and OSHA maintenance, reliability, and mechanical integrity standards and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to apply reliability engineering principles to design and development activities.
• Experience with CMMS systems (Maximo preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead the Mechanical Integrity and Reliability program at the Taunton Facility.
• Develop and implement a strategic reliability plan covering mechanical integrity, instrument calibration, and equipment reliability for critical assets.
• Manage external contractors and vendors for reliability testing and monitor performance to ensure safety and quality.
• Analyze equipment performance data to identify trends and failure patterns; support continuous improvement.
• Improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs in collaboration with maintenance teams.
• Investigate breakdowns to identify root causes and implement long-term solutions.
• Support capital projects related to equipment upgrades and provide technical guidance on installations and commissioning.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements including OSHA PSM.

Skills

RCM

FMEA

RCA

Project management

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Troubleshooting

Mechanical aptitude

Education

Bachelors in Chemical/Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Tools

Maximo CMMS

Job description

Overview

The Principal Maintenance and Reliability Engineer has primary responsibility for the Asset Management and Reliability plan for the Waters chemical manufacturing site located in Taunton, MA. They are the SME for reliability on site and assess risk, develop plans, implement mitigation, and facilitate improvements by collaborating with a highly skilled maintenance, engineering, and tech support team. This position reports to the Maintenance and Facilities manager.

Responsibilities

Reliability Engineering:

• Manage the Mechanical Integrity and Reliability program at the Taunton Facility.
• Develop and implement a strategic reliability plan, including mechanical integrity, instrument calibration, and equipment reliability, for all critical assets.
• Select, procure, and manage external contractors and vendors for key reliability testing. Manage contractor performance to ensure they deliver high quality service and meet all safety requirements.
• Analyze equipment performance data to identify trends and failure patterns.
• Work with the Process Engineering and Tech Support departments in identifying in-house problems, implementing solutions, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Complete failure mode assessments on new equipment to determine potential breakdowns and design preventative maintenance plans to minimize.

Maintenance Optimization:

• Collaborate with maintenance teams to improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
• Conduct investigations into breakdowns to identify true root cause and implement effective long‑term repairs and solutions.
• Evaluate and enhance CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) usage and data integrity.

Project & Asset Management:

• Assist in capital projects related to equipment upgrades and replacements.
• Provide technical support for equipment selection, installation, and commissioning.
• Maintain asset integrity and compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Safety & Compliance:

• Ensure all maintenance, mechanical integrity, and asset reliability programs and activities comply with all applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensures compliance with the Mechanical Integrity standards for the site OSHA PSM (Process Safety Management, 29 CFR 1910.119) program.
• Participate in audits and inspections and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in one of the following engineering disciplines; Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial plus a minimum of ten years working in a maintenance and reliability function. This must include a minimum of 5 years experience overseeing mechanical reliability in a complex chemical manufacturing facility.
• Significant experience in the implementation and application of OSHA’s PSM (Process Safety Management) standard.
• A demonstrated, detailed working knowledge of ASME, NFPA, API and OSHA maintenance, reliability, and mechanical integrity standards and best practices.
• A strong knowledge of reliability tools and methodologies (RCM, FMEA, RCA).
• Experience with CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Software) systems (Maximo preferred)
• Demonstrated capability to apply reliability engineering principles to design and development activities
• The successful candidate should also have the following attributes:
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Good interpersonal skills with the ability to interact at all levels of an organization.
  • Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel.
  • Detail oriented.
  • High degree of mechanical aptitude.
  • Strong troubleshooting, investigative and problem‑solving skills.

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state,and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status,or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

Key Words

#Reliability #Engineer