Maintenance & Reliability, Engineering Manager, LFP Manufacturing

The successful candidate will lead and build a high-performing maintenance and reliability organization across our rapidly scaling manufacturing operations. This pivotal role operates at the program strategy level, architecting the reliability systems, condition monitoring programs, and data-driven frameworks that govern how factory equipment is maintained, while managing distinct teams responsible for floor-level maintenance execution and machine ownership. The ideal leader understands the difference between designing a reliability program and running one, and can build, develop, and align teams across both layers to drive maximum equipment availability, MTBF improvement, and uptime during aggressive ramp-up phases.

• Design and implement a scalable maintenance and reliability structure, including hiring, training, and mentoring a team of 100+; foster a culture of safety, continuous improvement, reliability excellence, and cross-training to support rapid growth
• Oversee equipment commissioning, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), preventive/predictive maintenance programs, and troubleshooting during production scaling; collaborate with engineering, production, and supply chain to integrate new lines and achieve asset availability and uptime targets
• Develop and execute maintenance and reliability strategies, budgets, OEE improvements, and vendor partnerships; conduct root cause analyses and implement data-driven reliability tools, FMEA, and proactive issue resolution to extend asset life and reduce failure rates
• Monitor and improve KPIs, including MTBF, MTTR, and asset availability, through audits, Kaizen events, and technology adoption; address bottlenecks in high-risk areas to reduce downtime and eliminate chronic failures
• Partner with senior leadership to align maintenance and reliability goals with business objectives; manage risks, compliance, training, development, and emergency responses in a regulated manufacturing setting
• Lead initiatives for automation, condition monitoring, spares inventory optimization, and sustainability; prepare for multi-shift expansions and global reliability best practices integration
• Deploy and scale IoT-based condition monitoring (thermography, vibration analysis, sensor networks) across factory equipment; establish data-driven PM interval optimization using statistical tools (Minitab, JMP)
• Lead cross-departmental Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) for critical asset failures; build structured RCFA workflows spanning maintenance, operations, and engineering
• Own asset lifecycle decision-making (repair vs. replace) frameworks; oversee CAD-based equipment redesign and commissioning of new or modified equipment
• Ensure all maintenance execution complies with LOTO/MOC safety systems; integrate SCADA/MES data into reliability workflows
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years in maintenance and reliability management within high-volume manufacturing, with proven success building teams during ramp-up phases
• 5+ years of extensive experience with troubleshooting and correcting industrial equipment failures, applying reliability engineering principles in high-volume manufacturing
• Strong leadership in organizational design and talent development; expertise in TPM, RCM, FMEA, robotics and controls programming, lean manufacturing, and predictive and condition-based maintenance technologies; proficient in data analytics, CMMS systems, and root cause tools such as 5-Why and fault tree analysis
• Must be capable of collaborating with cross-functional teams and department leaders to address concerns and issues that affect part quality, work cell ergonomics, equipment reliability, etc.
• Environmental Health, Safety & Reliability (EHS&R) Focus: Responsibilities include ensuring team safety training, documenting EHS incidents, proactively identifying workplace hazards, driving reliability improvements that reduce unplanned events, and empowering teams towards continuous operational improvements
• Hands-on experience with rotating equipment (blowers, gearboxes, conveyors) and familiarity with SCADA/MES platforms
• Demonstrated ability to separate program-level reliability strategy from floor execution - and build teams that own each layer distinctly
• Experience managing or coordinating with automation/machine ownership engineering functions (PLC, robotics, SolidWorks environment)