Reliability Vibration Technician

Purple Cow Recruiting; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Purple Cow Recruiting is seeking an experienced Reliability Vibration Technician for a life-sciences campus in Rahway, NJ. This full-time, on-site role emphasizes advanced vibration analysis, condition monitoring, and leadership of predictive-maintenance activities.

You will work with Maintenance and Engineering to advance a developing reliability program, mentor technicians, document findings, and communicate recommendations across a large multi-building campus.

Qualifications

• 10 Years of Predictive Maintenance Experience REQUIRED
• Extensive Hands-On Machine Vibration Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Formal Vibration Analyst Certification REQUIRED
• ISO Category I–IV Vibration Analyst Certification REQUIRED
• Advanced vibration data interpretation and failure-diagnostic skills REQUIRED

Responsibilities

• Perform advanced vibration analysis on rotating equipment
• Interpret FFT / spectral data and time-waveform data
• Lead predictive-maintenance activities and help develop CBM/RCM programs
• Organize predictive-maintenance workloads and establish standards
• Mentor vibration and reliability technicians and communicate findings to stakeholders

Skills

Vibration analysis

Rotating equipment diagnostics

Predictive maintenance

Condition monitoring

Technical leadership

Infrared thermography

Education

Bachelor’s or Associate Degree in Engineering OR Equivalent Practical Reliability / Predictive Maintenance Experience

Tools

CMMS

Vibration Analysis Software

Thermography equipment

Job description

Reliability Vibration Technician | Rahway, NJ

Full-Time | On-Site | Predictive Maintenance / Reliability Engineering

Advanced Vibration Analysis | Condition Monitoring | Life Sciences Campus

Elizabeth Banzhaf, LPN

Co-Founder & COO | Heartline Staffing

Heartline Staffing, in partnership with Purple Cow Recruiting, is seeking an experienced Reliability Vibration Technician for a highly technical, full-time opportunity supporting a large life-sciences campus in Rahway, New Jersey.

This position serves as a technical expert in predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, vibration analysis, rotating-equipment diagnostics, and reliability engineering. The successful candidate will combine deep hands‑on vibration‑analysis expertise with program ownership, failure analysis, technical leadership, and the ability to advance a developing predictive‑maintenance program.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Reliability Vibration Technician performs advanced condition monitoring and equipment diagnostics while helping establish and improve long-term asset‑reliability strategies. The position works closely with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations to identify developing equipment failures before breakdown, improve asset uptime, reduce lifecycle costs, and eliminate recurring reliability problems.

This role requires substantial hands‑on experience diagnosing rotating equipment using vibration data and other predictive‑maintenance technologies. The technician will also help organize predictive‑maintenance activities, establish best practices, mentor less‑experienced technicians, and support continuous‑improvement initiatives across a large multi‑building campus.

VIBRATION ANALYSIS & EQUIPMENT DIAGNOSTICS

• Perform advanced vibration analysis on rotating equipment
• Analyze motors, pumps, fans, compressors, gearboxes, and related mechanical assets
• Interpret FFT / spectral data
• Interpret time‑waveform data
• Perform phase analysis
• Evaluate resonance and critical‑speed conditions
• Analyze vibration trends and condition‑monitoring data
• Diagnose bearing failures
• Diagnose misalignment
• Diagnose imbalance
• Identify looseness, resonance, and other mechanical failure modes
• Identify electrical anomalies affecting rotating equipment where applicable
• Determine root causes of abnormal equipment conditions
• Recommend corrective maintenance actions
• Document findings and communicate technical recommendations to Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE & CONDITION MONITORING

• Support and lead predictive‑maintenance activities
• Develop and refine condition‑based monitoring programs
• Support Reliability‑Centered Maintenance strategies
• Establish equipment‑monitoring priorities
• Analyze equipment‑condition trends
• Help define inspection frequencies and monitoring strategies
• Improve predictive‑maintenance workflows and best practices
• Use data to identify developing failures before functional breakdown
• Help prioritize corrective actions based on equipment condition and business risk
• Support long‑term reliability strategy and continuous improvement

ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS

• Lead and support Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)
• Investigate recurring equipment failures
• Identify underlying mechanical or operational causes
• Recommend permanent corrective actions
• Support failure‑elimination strategies
• Track reliability improvements following corrective action
• Help reduce repeat failures and unplanned downtime
• Support improved asset lifecycle performance

INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY

The role also supports infrared thermographic inspections across electrical, mechanical, and process systems. Relevant responsibilities may include:

• Conducting thermal inspections
• Identifying abnormal thermal patterns
• Evaluating electrical and mechanical hot spots
• Interpreting IR findings alongside vibration data
• Documenting thermography findings
• Recommending follow‑up maintenance actions

Infrared Thermography certification or practical thermography experience is preferred but is not required.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

This position offers a high degree of ownership within a developing predictive‑maintenance program. The successful candidate will help establish standards, prioritize work, improve processes, and strengthen the technical capabilities of the reliability team.

Responsibilities may include:

• Lead or help lead predictive‑maintenance program activities
• Establish technical standards and best practices
• Organize predictive‑maintenance workloads
• Mentor vibration and reliability technicians
• Develop team vibration‑analysis capabilities
• Support technical training initiatives
• Serve as a technical escalation resource
• Help build a proactive reliability culture

CROSS‑FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

• Partner with Maintenance teams
• Partner with Engineering teams
• Partner with Operations teams
• Support capital projects and equipment upgrades
• Provide equipment‑condition input during reliability decisions
• Communicate technical findings to both technical and operational stakeholders
• Support corrective‑action planning
• Coordinate reliability initiatives across multiple buildings and departments

REGULATED ENVIRONMENT

This position supports a large life‑sciences campus where accurate documentation, structured work processes, and strong technical discipline are important. Experience in pharmaceutical, life sciences, chemical, food and beverage, energy, healthcare, or another regulated environment is highly valuable.

LARGE CAMPUS ENVIROMENT

The position supports a large campus with more than 65 buildings, providing significant exposure to complex facility systems, rotating assets, reliability initiatives, and long‑term program development.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

• Opportunity to help lead and build a relatively new predictive‑maintenance program
• High degree of autonomy and ownership
• Ability to establish processes and technical best practices
• Large multi‑building campus environment
• Cross‑functional exposure to Maintenance, Engineering, Operations, and Facilities
• Long‑term career growth and internal mobility opportunities

BENEFITS

A comprehensive benefits package is available and will be reviewed with qualified candidates during the interview process.

Requirements

• 10 Years of Predictive Maintenance Experience REQUIRED
• Extensive Hands‑On Machine Vibration Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Formal Vibration Analyst Certification REQUIRED
• ISO Category I, II, III, or IV Vibration Analysis Certification REQUIRED
• Advanced Vibration Data Interpretation and Failure‑Diagnostic Skills REQUIRED
• FFT / Spectral Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Time‑Waveform Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Phase Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Resonance / Critical‑Speed Diagnostic Experience REQUIRED
• Rotating Equipment Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Experience Diagnosing Motors, Pumps, Fans, Compressors, and/or Gearboxes REQUIRED
• Root Cause Failure Analysis Experience REQUIRED
• Predictive Maintenance Program Ownership or Leadership Experience REQUIRED
• Experience Developing or Improving PdM / CBM / RCM Programs REQUIRED
• Experience Leading or Mentoring Reliability / Maintenance Technicians REQUIRED
• Ability to Recommend and Drive Corrective Actions REQUIRED
• Experience with Vibration / Predictive Maintenance Analysis Software REQUIRED
• CMMS / Work-Order System Experience REQUIRED
• Strong Technical Documentation Skills REQUIRED
• Ability to Work Fully On‑Site in Rahway, NJ REQUIRED
• Bachelor’s or Associate Degree in Engineering OR Equivalent Practical Reliability / Predictive Maintenance Experience REQUIRED
• Category III or IV Vibration Analyst Certification Preferred
• Infrared Thermography Certification or Practical IR Thermography Experience Preferred
• Pharmaceutical / Life Sciences / Regulated‑Environment Experience Preferred
• Large Campus / Multi‑Building Reliability Experience Preferred
• Integrated Facilities Management Experience Preferred

VIBRATION CERTIFICATION NOTE:

Some level of formal vibration‑analysis certification is required. ISO Category III or IV is preferred. Candidates holding Category I or II may still qualify when they bring approximately 10-15 years of strong predictive‑maintenance and vibration‑analysis experience.

EXPERIENCE NOTE:

The search‑specific guidance requires 10 years of predictive‑maintenance experience. Candidates should demonstrate substantial hands‑on vibration‑analysis responsibility rather than general maintenance or reliability exposure alone.

LEADERSHIP NOTE:

This role requires meaningful predictive‑maintenance program leadership. Strong candidates should have experience organizing PdM work, establishing standards, mentoring technicians, developing team capability, and taking ownership of program outcomes.

EDUCATION NOTE:

A bachelor’s or associate degree in Engineering is relevant, but the employer explicitly allows equivalent practical experience. Highly experienced vibration/reliability professionals should not be automatically excluded solely because they lack a bachelor’s degree when they otherwise satisfy the experience, certification, and technical requirements.

INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY:

Infrared Thermography certification is preferred but not required. Strong practical thermography experience may also satisfy the preference.