Reliability and Automation Lead

BD; El Paso (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

BD is a leading global medical technology company seeking a Reliability and Automation Lead to drive asset reliability, availability, safety, and lifecycle performance across the site. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and partner with Operations, PM, IT/OT, and Quality to deploy reliability-centered maintenance, optimize spares, and advance digitalization initiatives.

The role requires a strong background in automation, reliability engineering, and maintenance strategy, with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in a highly automated manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of technical people leadership.
• Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of safety standards, quality systems, and continuous improvement methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of a site-wide Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) strategy aligned with equipment classification and maintenance budget.
• Own reliability KPIs including MTTR, MTBF, OEE, failure trends, maintenance cost, and asset lifecycle health.
• Coordinate deployment of Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) tools and predictive technologies.
• Drive spare parts optimization, risk-based spares strategies, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Own the Automation Master Plan, including modernization, obsolescence management, and standardization.
• Govern version control, backups, disaster recovery, access management, and OT cybersecurity posture.
• Ensure availability, reliability, and maintainability of both legacy and new automation assets.
• Provide escalation support for high-complexity automation and equipment failures.
• Lead and govern small-to-medium automation, reliability, and electrical projects, ensuring safety, scope, quality, schedule, and cost adherence.
• Support digitalization initiatives including MES, historian integration, connectivity, and data-driven decision making.
• Build and sustain a high-performing technical organization across reliability, controls, automation, and machine design.
• Coach teams in structured troubleshooting and reliability tools to build long-term capability.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Automation

Reliability engineering

Maintenance strategy

Leadership

Project management

Safety standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Science/Automation/Industrial Management

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world. Advancing the world of health™ is our Purpose, and it’s no small feat. It takes the imagination and passion of all of us—from design and engineering to the manufacturing and marketing of our billions of MedTech products per year—to look at the impossible and find transformative solutions that turn dreams into possibilities.

Job Description

The Reliability and Automation Lead is accountable for achieving high asset reliability, availability, safety, and lifecycle performance at optimal cost across the site. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for controls and automation systems, reliability engineering, machine design support, and maintenance strategy, including oversight of the tool room and critical spares. The position leads a multidisciplinary team of Controls & Automation Engineers, Reliability Engineers, Vision & Controls Technicians, Machine Designers, and Hourly Technical Associates. By partnering closely with Operations, Product Lines, Preventive Maintenance (PM), Engineering, Quality, EHS, IT/OT, and Finance, the leader ensures reliability‑centered maintenance strategies are deployed, repetitive breakdowns are eliminated, and continuous improvement initiatives deliver measurable gains in OEE, MTTR, MTBF, cost, and safety performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Safety, Behavior & Compliance
• Champion a Zero Harm safety culture, ensuring compliance with all site, corporate, and regulatory EHS requirements.
• Enforce LOTO, electrical safety, machine guarding, ergonomic risk mitigation, and risk‑assessment processes.
• Conduct safety walks, audits, coaching, and hazard reviews with timely corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with quality systems, engineering standards, cybersecurity requirements, and documentation controls.
• Asset Reliability & Maintenance Strategy
• Lead development and execution of a site‑wide Reliability‑Centered Maintenance (RCM) strategy aligned with equipment classification and maintenance budget.
• Own reliability KPIs including MTTR, MTBF, OEE, failure trends, maintenance cost, and asset lifecycle health.
• Identify weak components and chronic losses; lead structured root‑cause analysis and permanent corrective actions.
• Coordinate deployment of Condition‑Based Maintenance (CBM) tools and predictive technologies.
• Drive spare parts optimization, risk‑based spares strategies, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Controls & Automation Strategy & Governance
• Own the Automation Master Plan, including modernization, obsolescence management, and standardization.
• Establish and enforce standards for PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, safety systems, motion/drives, robotics, vision systems, instrumentation, and industrial networks.
• Govern version control, backups, disaster recovery, access management, and OT cybersecurity posture.
• Ensure availability, reliability, and maintainability of both legacy and new automation assets.
• Troubleshooting & Operational Support
• Provide escalation support for high‑complexity automation and equipment failures.
• Partner with PM, Product Line, and Operations teams during startups, changeovers, shutdowns, and recovery events.
• Coach teams in structured troubleshooting and reliability tools to build long‑term capability.
• Projects, Capital Integration & Digitalization
• Lead and govern small‑to‑medium automation, reliability, and electrical projects, ensuring safety, scope, quality, schedule, and cost adherence.
• Oversee I/O lists, cause‑and‑effect matrices, panel designs, FAT/SAT, validation plans, and commissioning activities.
• Ensure Management of Change (MOC), training, documentation updates, and handover requirements are completed.
• Support digitalization initiatives including MES, historian integration, connectivity, and data‑driven decision making.
• Team Leadership & Capability Development
• Build and sustain a high‑performing technical organization across reliability, controls, automation, and machine design.
• Provide servant leadership, coaching, and mentorship to exempt and hourly associates.
• Develop technical training paths, standard work, OPLs, and succession plans.
• Manage priorities, resource allocation, and on‑call or 24/7 support structures.
• Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
• Lead and participate in continuous improvement programs (e.g., Kaizen, TPM, AM/PM pillars, C2W or equivalent).
• Benchmark performance against internal and external sites and apply best practices.
• Drive initiatives that reduce downtime, maintenance cost, spare parts consumption, and overall operational risk.
• Quality, Documentation & Audit Readiness
• Ensure automation and equipment design support quality‑by‑design principles.
• Maintain accurate, audit‑ready documentation including manuals, drawings, network maps, maintenance plans, validations, backups, and as‑built packages.
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits with timely actions and evidence.
• Collaboration & Communication
• Act as a key integrator across Operations, PM, Product Lines, Engineering, Quality, IT/OT, EHS, Finance, and external partners.
• Communicate asset health, automation risks, reliability priorities, and project status to site leadership.
• Manage OEM, vendor, and system integrator relationships to ensure alignment and quality execution.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required in Engineering, Science, Automation, Industrial Management, or related field
• Master’s degree preferred

Experience

• 5+ years in a highly automated manufacturing environment
• 3+ years of technical people leadership preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Advanced troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills
• Expertise in automation, controls, machine design, reliability engineering, and maintenance systems
• Strong leadership, communication, and decision‑making skills
• Knowledge of safety standards, quality systems, and continuous improvement methods
• Project management and financial acumen

Why Join Us?

To find purpose in the possibilities, we need people who can see the bigger picture, who understand the human story that underpins everything we do. We welcome people with the imagination and drive to help us reinvent the future of healthcare. At BD, you’ll discover a culture in which you can learn, grow and thrive.

We believe that when people connect in person, we learn faster, collaborate more deeply, and build a stronger culture. Join us and enjoy a culture where face‑to‑face collaboration supports your learning, your progress, and your success.

To learn more about BD visit https://bd.com/careers.

Becton, Dickinson, and Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or domestic or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, disability, military eligibility or veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.