Reliability Engineer

Zenovo; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Zenovo seeks an experienced Reliability Engineer to embed reliability across the product development lifecycle, from concept through production, partnering with Design, Manufacturing and Quality teams across North America and global markets.

The role emphasizes failure prediction, reliability validation and driving enhancements in product performance and quality. CRE/CQE certifications and ISO quality experience are highly desired.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years' engineering experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong mechanical background in R&D/product development or testing.
• Knowledge of reliability engineering principles including failure prediction & sample size planning.
• Experience with accelerated life testing and reliability validation.
• Experience leading FMEA activities and root cause investigations.
• Understanding of quality engineering principles and documentation.
• CRE or CQE certification desirable (CRE/CQE).
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 standards or ISO certification activities.
• ISO Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor qualification desirable.
• Experience with electromechanical or fluid-handling products.
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Define reliability requirements for new product development.
• Develop reliability strategies across the product lifecycle.
• Design and execute accelerated life testing and validation programs.
• Determine sample sizes and reliability test plans to predict performance.
• Lead DFMEA and PFMEA for new and existing products.
• Analyze reliability data using statistics to identify trends and improvements.
• Investigate failures with structured root cause analysis.
• Recommend corrective actions to improve long-term reliability and quality.
• Collaborate with Design, Manufacturing and Quality to mitigate recurring issues.
• Support lab accreditation, product certification and ISO activities.

Skills

Reliability principles

FMEA leadership

Root cause analysis

Statistical methods

Problem solving

Quality engineering

CRE

CQE

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Please note: We are unable to provide visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Our established partner is looking for an experienced Reliability Engineer to play a key role in developing reliable, high-quality products used across North America and global markets. This position offers the opportunity to influence product design from concept through to production while driving improvements in product performance, reliability and quality.

The successful candidate will have a strong mechanical engineering background, ideally gained within an R&D, product development or testing environment, alongside hands‑on experience applying reliability engineering principles throughout the product lifecycle.

The Role

Reporting to the Reliability Manager, you'll be responsible for embedding reliability into every stage of product development. Working closely with Design, Manufacturing and Quality teams, you'll help predict and prevent product failures, improve product performance and support the delivery of innovative, reliable products.

Initially, you'll support reliability engineering activities alongside laboratory certification and quality initiatives. While experience of ISO standards is beneficial, the business offers excellent support and coaching to develop certification knowledge and processes.

This is a highly collaborative role, with approximately:

• 60% focused on reliability engineering, including failure prediction, reliability planning, sample size determination and validation strategies.
• 30% supporting quality engineering activities, including documentation, corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• 10% supporting certification and engineering best practice, helping strengthen reliability standards across the business.

What You'll Be Doing

• Define reliability requirements for new product development programmes.
• Develop and implement reliability strategies throughout the product lifecycle.
• Design and execute accelerated life testing and validation programmes.
• Determine appropriate sample sizes and reliability test plans to predict product performance.
• Lead DFMEA and PFMEA activities for both new and existing products.
• Analyse reliability and test data using statistical methods to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Investigate product failures using structured root cause analysis techniques.
• Recommend and implement corrective actions that improve long‑term product reliability and quality.
• Partner with Design, Manufacturing and Quality teams to eliminate recurring issues and improve product robustness.
• Support laboratory accreditation, product certification and ISO quality activities.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years' engineering experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong mechanical engineering background, ideally within R&D, product development or testing.
• Demonstrable knowledge of reliability engineering principles, including failure prediction, reliability validation and sample size planning.
• Experience conducting accelerated life testing and reliability validation activities.
• Experience leading FMEA activities and structured root cause investigations.
• Understanding of quality engineering principles and technical documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with experience interpreting engineering and statistical data.
• Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE).
• Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 standards or experience supporting ISO certification activities.
• ISO Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor qualification.
• Experience with electromechanical or fluid‑handling products.
• Experience within a high‑volume manufacturing environment.

Ideal Background

We're open to candidates whose current title may not necessarily be Reliability Engineer. Engineers working in roles such as Product Development, Mechanical Design, Validation, Test Engineering or Quality Engineering who have developed strong reliability engineering knowledge and experience predicting product failures are encouraged to apply.

The ideal candidate will typically have a background weighted towards:

• 70% Mechanical Engineering
• 25% Manufacturing Engineering
• 5% Electrical Engineering

.