Senior Reliability Engineer

Northstrat Incorporated; Sterling (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Northstrat Incorporated, doing business as GRVTY, seeks a Senior Reliability Engineer to own the reliability of fielded and in‑production RF EW systems. You will lead RAM, MTBF/MTTF, and FRACAS, and direct reliability testing per MIL‑STD‑810 in harsh environments such as airborne pods, shipboard, and ground platforms.

You will analyze failures, drive corrective actions, mentor juniors, and sustain component reliability across production and lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Active Secret or higher clearance required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years in reliability engineering with RF/microwave hardware.
• Experience in defense/aerospace regulated hardware programs.
• Working knowledge of RF fundamentals (S-parameters, impedance matching, link budgets).
• Expertise in reliability methods: FMEA/FMECA, RBD, fault tree analysis, Weibull life data.
• Experience planning environmental and accelerated stress tests per MIL‑STD‑810 (HALT/HASS).
• Strong data analysis skills (Excel and Python/MATLAB/MINITAB/JMP).

Responsibilities

• Serve as reliability lead for fielded and in‑production EW RF systems.
• Perform reliability predictions and modeling (MTBF/MTTF, RAM diagrams, fault trees).
• Lead FMEA/FMECA and translate findings into production improvements.
• Plan and analyze qualification and ongoing reliability testing per MIL‑STD‑810.
• Conduct root‑cause and failure analysis with labs and drive corrective action (FRACAS).
• Apply derating and thermal management analysis for high‑power EW components.
• Own component sustainment, screening, and obsolescence risk management.
• Own reliability data across lifecycle and build reliability growth models.
• Support Production Readiness and Test Readiness activities and reviews.
• Mentor junior reliability engineers and mature reliability processes.

Skills

RF/microwave

Reliability engineering

FMEA/FMECA

FRACAS (8D)

MIL-STD-810

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis

S-parameters

Weibull analysis

Environment testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Minitab

JMP

Job description

GRVTY (Northstrat) is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to own the reliability of our fielded and in‑production radio‑frequency (RF) electronic warfare (EW) systems. These systems are already designed; your focus is on qualification, production, sustainment, and fielded reliability—predicting, measuring, and continuously improving the reliability of EW transmitters, receivers, high‑power amplifiers, wideband RF front‑ends, T/R modules, and antenna assemblies operating in harsh military environments such as airborne pods, shipboard installations, and ground platforms.

This is a hybrid role based out of our Sterling, VA facility, with regular on‑site presence expected for lab, integration, and program activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the reliability technical lead for fielded and in‑production EW RF systems, maintaining reliability requirements, allocations, and verification artifacts tied to mission and operational profiles and contractual (RAM) requirements.
• Perform reliability predictions and modeling (MTBF/MTTF, reliability block diagrams, fault trees) for EW RF hardware—high‑power PAs, LNAs, mixers, filters, synthesizers, wideband front‑ends, DRFM/receiver assemblies, and antenna/array hardware—using MIL‑HDBK‑217 and related methods.
• Lead FMEA/FMECA on existing EW designs and translate findings into production‑process, screening, and sustainment improvements.
• Plan and analyze qualification and ongoing reliability testing per MIL-STD-810 and program specifications: HALT/HASS, accelerated life testing, thermal cycling, vibration/shock, humidity, and altitude, plus EW‑relevant RF stress (sustained high‑power operation, duty cycle, VSWR/mismatch, ESD).
• Conduct root‑cause and failure analysis on RF and EW component and board‑level failures, working with FA labs (cross‑section, X‑ray, decap, SEM/EDS, network analyzer characterization) and driving closed‑loop corrective action (FRACAS).
• Apply derating and thermal management analysis to high‑power EW RF components; review junction temperatures, power dissipation, and component stress against derating guidelines.
• Own component sustainment for RF and high‑frequency parts: screening, EEE parts management, and obsolescence/DMSMS risk management for in‑production and fielded systems.
• Own reliability data across the production and sustainment lifecycle—FRACAS, field‑return and depot/sustainment data—and build reliability growth models (e.g., Crow‑AMSAA) to drive continuous improvement.
• Support production and sustainment milestone activities (e.g., Production Readiness Reviews, Test Readiness Reviews) and author/review qualification, acceptance, and screening procedures.
• Mentor junior reliability engineers and help mature the organization's reliability processes and toolset.

Requirements

• Must have an active Secret or higher clearance.
• A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, reliability engineering, physics, or a related field.
• Must have 8+ years of reliability engineering experience, including significant work on RF/microwave or wireless hardware.
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, or other regulated/high‑reliability hardware programs in production and/or sustainment.
• Working knowledge of RF fundamentals: S‑parameters, impedance matching, link budgets, noise figure, gain/compression, and common RF components and measurements.
• Demonstrated expertise in reliability methods: FMEA/FMECA, RBD, fault tree analysis, Weibull and statistical life‑data analysis, and reliability prediction standards (MIL‑HDBK‑217; familiarity with MIL‑HDBK‑338, Telcordia SR‑332, or FIDES a plus).
• Experience planning and interpreting environmental and accelerated stress tests, including MIL‑STD‑810 environments and HALT/HASS.
• Strong failure‑analysis and root‑cause skills (8D, fishbone, 5‑Whys) and experience operating a FRACAS.
• Strong data analysis skills (Excel and at least one of Python/R/MATLAB/Minitab/JMP).

Desired

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) certification.
• Direct experience with electronic warfare systems (ECM/ECCM, jammers, EW receivers, DRFM, wideband/high‑power RF) and their failure and degradation modes.
• Experience with defense RAM requirements and standards such as GEIA‑STD‑0009, MIL‑STD‑785, and reliability allocations on DoD programs.
• Hands‑on experience with RF test equipment (vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators) and interpreting RF degradation and failure modes.
• Familiarity with reliability challenges of high‑power RF and harsh‑platform (airborne pod, shipboard, ground vehicle) installations.

What Success Looks Like (First 6‑12 Months)

• Took full ownership of the reliability requirements, predictions, and verification artifacts for a key EW RF product line in production.
• Delivered FMECA and failure‑analysis findings that drove at least one production‑process, screening, or sustainment improvement.
• Matured the FRACAS / closed‑loop corrective‑action process for EW RF hardware and demonstrated measurable reliability improvement using field and depot data.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or other legally protected status.