Senior Reliability Engineer – Rotating Equipment

Industrial Systems Consulting; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary based on experience

Strong emphasis on safety and operational integrity

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in the oil and gas sector is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to enhance rotating equipment reliability in upstream operations. The ideal candidate should have over 10 years of reliability engineering experience with a strong background in vibration analysis and field-based troubleshooting. The role involves significant collaboration with operations and maintenance teams, focusing on clear, defensible reliability decisions within a mature, regulated environment. Competitive salary offered based on experience.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of reliability engineering experience in upstream oil & gas.
• Hands-on experience with rotating equipment troubleshooting.
• Strong communication skills for technical risk and recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical authority for rotating equipment reliability.
• Lead troubleshooting of chronic and acute equipment failures.
• Perform bad actor identification and FMEA.
• Translate findings into reliable equipment decisions.
• Partner with Operations and Maintenance for strategic improvements.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance.

Skills

Vibration analysis

Condition monitoring

Lubrication and oil analysis

Mechanical seals

Bearings

API standards

Field-based troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Senior Reliability Engineer – Rotating Equipment (Upstream Oil & Gas)

Location: Bakersfield, CA (San Joaquin Valley)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience Required: 10+ Years
Seniority Level: Mid-Senior Level
Job Function: Management, Manufacturing, and Engineering
Industries: Oil and Gas, Energy Technology, and Engineering Services

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer with deep expertise in rotating equipment within upstream oil and gas operations to support producing assets in the San Joaquin Valley. This role is focused on turning equipment data, inspection findings, and failure history into clear, defensible reliability decisions at the intersection of operations, maintenance, inspection, and engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the technical authority for rotating equipment reliability across upstream assets, including crude, water, and injection pumps; gas compressors (reciprocating & centrifugal); gas lift compressors; VRU equipment; fans, blowers, and gearboxes.
• Lead complex troubleshooting of chronic and acute equipment failures: vibration issues, seal and bearing failures, lubrication breakdowns, cavitation, misalignment, resonance, and process‑induced damage.
• Perform and facilitate bad actor identification and elimination, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and interpretation and integration of vibration data, oil analysis, thermography, inspection reports, operating data, and production constraints.
• Translate findings into repair, defer, or operate decisions that are technically sound and regulator-defensible.
• Partner with Operations and Maintenance to improve PM and PdM strategies, optimize maintenance intervals and spare strategies, reduce unplanned downtime and repeat failures, manage scopes, repair strategies, and equipment upgrades.
• Coordinate Management of Change (MOC), capital projects and turnarounds impacting rotating equipment, and support permit‑to‑operate by ensuring reliability decisions align with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance to planners, supervisors, and field teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• 10+ years of reliability engineering experience in upstream oil & gas with hands‑on, field‑based troubleshooting of rotating equipment.
• Strong working knowledge of vibration analysis, condition monitoring; lubrication and oil analysis; mechanical seals, bearings, couplings; API standards applicable to upstream rotating equipment.
• Experience working directly in producing fields and facilities.
• Ability to communicate technical risk and recommendations clearly to operations, maintenance, and leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• San Joaquin Valley upstream operating experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) or equivalent.
• Experience with gas compression systems and VRUs; background in owner‑operator organizations.

What Makes This Role Different

• Focus on engineering judgment, not just programs or dashboards.
• Real authority to influence repair, deferment, and run decisions.
• High-impact role in a mature, regulated upstream environment.
• Close collaboration with operations and maintenance—no siloed engineering.
• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Strong emphasis on safety, technical excellence, and operational integrity.