Lead Reliability Technician

Position Details

Reports To: Operations Manager

Location: Garden City, GA

Direct Reports: Reliability Technicians

Travel: Regional travel throughout the Southeast, including overnight stays at customer locations.

Work Environment: Industrial environments with exposure to noise, heat, and operating machinery. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is required. Occasional early morning, evening, and weekend work may be necessary to support scheduled outages.

Billable Target: Approximately 50% initially, with billable time expected to decrease as the department grows and the position takes on more responsibility for program management, team leadership, and business development.

Position Summary

The Lead Reliability Technician is a hands-on technical leadership role within IEM's reliability services group. This position provides condition monitoring and reliability services to industrial customers throughout the Southeast while leading and developing a team of reliability technicians, overseeing contracted service programs, and supporting sales efforts with technical expertise.

Services include vibration analysis, wireless vibration monitoring, motion amplification, ultrasonic lubrication, and reliability-centered customer spare parts warehousing.

Initially, the role will focus on performing technical services, developing customer relationships, and building the reliability team. As the department grows in revenue, staffing, and contracted programs, the position will take on greater responsibility for program management, technician development, and business growth, with the potential to advance into a Reliability Manager role.

Key Responsibilities

Reliability Services

• Perform and review vibration analysis on electric motors, pumps, fans, gearboxes, and other rotating equipment.
• Install and manage wireless vibration monitoring systems, including alarm monitoring, data analysis, and customer notifications.
• Conduct motion amplification studies, ultrasonic lubrication routes, and customer spare parts warehousing programs.
• Prepare clear, detailed technical reports outlining findings and recommended corrective actions.
• Support root cause failure analysis (RCFA) in collaboration with shop and field service teams.

Program Management and Planning

• Coordinate and manage contracted reliability programs, ensuring service scope, schedules, and reporting commitments are met.
• Develop job plans and service routes while coordinating technicians and equipment with shop operations, field service, and scheduling teams.
• Implement new reliability programs by conducting equipment surveys, establishing routes, collecting baseline data, and coordinating customer kickoffs.
• Review program results with customers and identify opportunities for contract renewals and additional services.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, train, and develop reliability technicians.
• Review technician data and reports to ensure accuracy, quality, and consistency before delivery to customers.
• Monitor route completion, report turnaround times, and customer follow-up on recommendations.
• Establish and standardize procedures, service methods, and reporting practices across the reliability team.

Customer Relationships and Sales Support

• Serve as the primary technical contact for reliability customers and present program findings and recommendations to customer teams.
• Participate in sales calls and assist with defining the scope, technical requirements, and pricing of new reliability programs.
• Identify opportunities for equipment repairs, replacements, and field service, communicating them to the appropriate sales and service teams.

Administration and Operations

• Maintain computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) records and reliability service routes.
• Complete job closeouts and invoicing in Motorbase.
• Review and approve technician time.
• Issue purchase orders (POs) and maintain current equipment calibration records.
• Transition administrative responsibilities to support staff as the department expands.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Vibration analyst certification, Category II minimum, with hands-on experience analyzing industrial rotating equipment.
• Experience leading or supervising technicians and planning and scheduling maintenance or reliability work.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to participate in sales calls and present technical findings to customer groups.
• Ability to prepare clear, accurate, and actionable technical reports.
• Working knowledge of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and Microsoft Office.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel throughout the Southeast, including overnight stays.

Preferred Qualifications

• Category III vibration analyst certification.
• Additional certifications in ultrasound or lubrication.
• Experience with wireless vibration monitoring, motion amplification, or ultrasonic lubrication programs.
• Background in electric motor repair or rotating equipment.
• Experience supporting customers in the pulp and paper, power generation, or municipal industries.

Growth Opportunity

This position offers the opportunity to help expand IEM's reliability services department while developing technical expertise, customer relationships, and team leadership capabilities. As the department grows, the role is expected to evolve from a hands-on, billable position into a broader leadership role focused on program performance, team development, and business growth, with a potential path to Reliability Manager.