Reliability Engineer

Sigma Design; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO 15 days

9 paid holidays

Quarterly bonus program

Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term+

Job summary

Sigma Design in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking a Reliability Engineer for a contract-to-hire, in-office role. You will perform reliability analyses, lead FMEA/FTA, and develop qualification and testing plans to ensure product robustness through design and production. The position requires 5+ years in similar roles and experience with defense/aerospace standards, with strong cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Reliability Engineer or related role.
• Experience with MIL-STD aerospace/defense environments and reliability methodologies (FMEA/FMECA, FTA, Weibull).
• Strong analytical writing and cross‑functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform predictive reliability analyses (MTTF/MTBF, Weibull) to identify failure trends.
• Lead FMEA, FTA, and root-cause investigations to drive corrective actions.
• Develop qualification, environmental and accelerated life testing plans for reliability verification.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, quality and test teams to improve product reliability.

Skills

Reliability engineering

FMEA/FMECA

Fault Tree Analysis

Weibull analysis

Predictive reliability modeling

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering/Aerospace Engineering/Systems Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Reliability Engineer

(Contract-to-hire)

Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa Mesa, CA. This company specializes in autonomous systems and next-generation defense technologies. This position is contract to hire and fully In-Office.

While on contract you are eligible for:

• Multiple options for medical insurance and dental insurance including some with FSA and HSA
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match
• 15-days of accrued PTO and 9 company paid holidays
• Quarterly bonus program
• Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Monday – Friday, day shift
• $70.00 - $93.00 an hour. The hourly range for this role is an estimate based on multiple factors, including experience, education, training, skills, and business considerations. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate’s qualifications and alignment with the role

Primary Function:

The Reliability Engineer is responsible for ensuring product reliability and system safety throughout the entire product lifecycle, from concept and design through manufacturing, production, and field deployment. This role partners cross-functionally to evaluate designs, execute reliability analyses and testing, investigate failures, and implement continuous improvements that enhance product performance and production readiness.

Essential Job Functions - Responsibilities:

• Perform predictive reliability analyses, including MTTF/MTBF calculations, Weibull analysis, and reliability modeling to evaluate product performance and identify failure trends.
• Lead Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and root cause investigations to identify risks and drive corrective and preventative actions.
• Develop and execute qualification, validation, environmental, and accelerated life testing plans to verify product reliability and production readiness.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and test teams to improve product designs, manufacturing processes, and system reliability throughout development and production.
• Support design reviews, manufacturing readiness activities, and the transition of products from development into production.
• Develop maintainability models and support preventative maintenance and sparing strategies.
• Create and improve standardized reliability processes, tools, and documentation to support product development and manufacturing.
• Follow Business Technology policies to protect sensitive data and reduce information security occurrences.

Education and Experience: (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Reliability Engineer, Design/Development Engineer, Test Engineer, or related engineering role preferred.
• Experience with safety-critical hardware and software systems, preferably within aerospace or defense environments.
• Strong knowledge of reliability engineering methodologies including FMEA/FMECA, Fault Tree Analysis, Weibull analysis, predictive reliability modeling, and failure investigations.
• Experience developing and executing qualification, environmental, accelerated life, and validation testing.
• Familiarity with military reliability and environmental standards, including MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-217, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-516C, and MIL-STD-1629; experience with MIL-HDBK-217Plus, MIL-HDBK-472, and MIL-STD-1916 is a plus.
• Experience supporting design reviews, manufacturing readiness, production testing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong analytical, technical writing, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Compliance (background check, ITAR, vaccine, etc.)
  • ITAR - Permanent resident of the United States (“U.S. person” as defined by ITAR)
  • Background - Pass a post-offer background verification.

Work Environment

Standard office environment with normal amounts of office related conditions. Occasionally may be required to work in environmental conditions that emulate typical user environments in order to facilitate design testing and validation. Occasionally may be required to travel as required to other facilities, clients, or suppliers.

SigmaDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer