Reliability Engineer

Our client is seeking a Joining Test Tech on their Materials team in Normal, IL for a one-year contract with an opportunity for extension. The ideal candidate will provide foundational support to Staff Engineers in ensuring that their products perform reliably for their customers. They will assist in a wide range of analysis and testing of joined products throughout the development and production phases.

Responsibilities

• Assist teams across the client's programs to assess their joint designs and improve quality of mechanical assemblies.
• Test fasteners and joints to collect torque/tension parameters on the lab bench.
• Assist personnel in detailed problem‑solving such as root cause corrective action (RCCA) and/or Failure Analysis (FA) for issues with parts encountered in the plant, in a Service environment, or in the field.
• Support teams such as Purchasing and Supplier Quality to ensure technical performance of Rivian’s fastener suppliers, including qualification and validation activities.
• Review Standard Component parts against their 2‑D prints in order to inspect/verify supplied items.
• Support builds of next‑gen programs with lineside tool and programming guidance to finetune good installations.
• Operate various laboratory equipment (specific instrument training will be provided) to generate data, perform materials characterization testing, or preparation of samples, with a specific focus on fastener systems.
• Conduct preventative maintenance of laboratory equipment on a scheduled basis to ensure maximum uptime and operability of the equipment.
• Assist in day‑to‑day organization of the lab, including ordering consumables, maintenance of chemical inventory, sample organization and tracking, etc.
• Produce clear and concise reports to summarize data collected and be able to clearly present this to engineers and scientists.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a laboratory environment, including safe working practices associated with mechanical testing. Must be very safety conscious and uphold lab safety guidelines.
• Experience safely working with basic machine shop tools such as band saw, drill press, belt sander, lathe, milling machine, etc for sample preparation.
• Familiarity with part standards and the ability to assist in maintaining in‑house fastener and fastener installation specs/standards.
• Top‑notch communication skills and the ability to discuss problems and potential solutions with the factory and engineering communities.
• Working knowledge of commonly used automotive materials, their manufacturing methods and their influence on joint design, fastener selection and validation. Includes aluminums, steels, multiple grades of plastic, sealants, adhesives and composites.
• 1+ years of experience as a fasteners, mechanical or materials engineer/technician in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred

Knowledge of and hands on experience with the following:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering or another relevant field.
• Knowledge of statistical process control methods.
• Experience with BEV-specific structures such as skateboard and battery frame assemblies.
• Familiarity with Jira or similar job/ticketing system.
• Torque Wrenches and production installation equipment e.g., Nutrunners.