Senior Reliability Engineering

Title : Senior Reliability Engineer

Chandler, AZ -- Hybrid (4 Days On-Site, 1 Day Remote)

Type : Contract or Contract-to-Hire (6 Months)

Compensation : $58--$63/hour | Conversion Salary: $125,000--$130,000 Base + 10% Annual Bonus + $15,000 Annual LTI/RSU Grant

Phoenix Staff is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to lead product reliability initiatives for mechanical and electromechanical systems used in solar tracking applications. This role will support both New Product Introduction (NPI) and sustaining engineering, with a focus on improving product durability, performance, safety, and long-term lifecycle costs.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience in Design for Reliability (DFR), Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), reliability modeling, accelerated testing, and field performance analysis. This position will collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Program Management to identify potential failure risks, improve product designs, and strengthen reliability throughout the product lifecycle.

Reporting to the Director of Reliability, this individual will help establish reliability engineering best practices, reduce warranty exposure, and ensure products perform consistently in challenging outdoor environments.

Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) for new and existing products.

Develop and maintain reliability models using Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD), Weibull analysis, and failure trend assessments.

Establish measurable reliability requirements and performance targets at the system, subsystem, and component levels.

Track and evaluate reliability metrics, including field failure rates, warranty claims, product degradation, and customer returns.

Design and oversee reliability validation programs, including Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS), Accelerated Life Testing (ALT), fatigue, corrosion, thermal cycling, environmental exposure, and mechanical load testing.

Coordinate testing activities with internal teams and external laboratories, interpret results, and recommend improvements to product durability and performance.

Investigate field failures and warranty trends to identify recurring issues, determine root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Apply structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and Weibull analysis, to support failure investigations.

Develop warranty forecasting inputs and collaborate with Finance, Quality, and Engineering to improve reserve modeling and failure predictions.

Translate field performance findings and lessons learned into actionable recommendations for future product designs and sustaining engineering improvements.

Establish and improve reliability reporting processes, dashboards, data collection methods, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Collaborate with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management to address technical risks, recurring performance concerns, and product changes.

Support product qualification, certification testing, and technical documentation in accordance with applicable UL, IEC, ASTM, and ISO standards.

Monitor evolving industry standards relevant to solar tracking equipment and outdoor structural systems.

Standardize reliability engineering tools, methodologies, and processes while mentoring engineers and cross-functional partners on reliability best practices.

Contribute to long-term reliability planning, process improvements, and the continued development of the reliability engineering function.

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Reliability Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in reliability engineering, product development, validation, or quality engineering within mechanical or electromechanical environments.

Strong understanding of reliability modeling and analysis techniques, including MTBF, Weibull analysis, and Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD).

Experience planning, executing, and interpreting reliability validation testing, including accelerated life testing and environmental qualification.

Demonstrated ability to investigate product failures, perform structured root cause analysis, and recommend corrective actions.

Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) programs or structured stage-gate product development processes.

Ability to analyze field performance data, identify reliability trends, and translate findings into engineering recommendations.

Familiarity with statistical testing principles, reliability metrics, and product qualification methodologies.

Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively alongside Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management teams.

Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills, including the ability to prepare engineering reports, technical presentations, and executive-level summaries.

Master's degree in Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related technical field.

Previous experience in renewable energy, solar technology, heavy equipment, automotive, or outdoor mechanical systems.

Knowledge of corrosion mechanisms, environmental degradation, and the impact of prolonged outdoor exposure on mechanical components.

Proficiency with statistical and reliability analysis software such as Minitab, ReliaSoft, or JMP.

Familiarity with structural and mechanical assemblies, including fasteners, bearings, drivetrains, actuators, torque tubes, and mechanical joints.

Experience supporting warranty analysis, reliability forecasting, and lifecycle performance assessments.

Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Black Belt, or Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) certification.

Experience mentoring technical teams, establishing engineering best practices, and contributing to reliability improvement strategies.

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