Senior Powder Metallurgy Equipment Engineer

Position Summary:

The Sr. Reliability and Equipment Engineer is responsible for the maintenance, optimization, improvement and qualification of machinery used to manufacture rare earth permanent magnets, driving Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), predictive and preventive maintenance programs, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvements, and long-term reliability strategies for the production assets.

The role combines deep technical expertise in powder metallurgy processes and manufacturing equipment with strong leadership, data analysis, and continuous improvement capabilities. The Sr. Reliability and Equipment Engineer will partner closely with operations, maintenance, quality, and engineering teams to maximize uptime, reduce cost, improve throughput, and enhance process stability.

Key Responsibilities

Reliability Engineering & Asset Management

• Develop and implement plant-wide reliability engineering strategies for powder metallurgy manufacturing equipment.
• Lead Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities.
• Establish reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) methodologies for critical assets.
• Analyze equipment performance trends, downtime data, and maintenance KPIs to identify chronic losses and reliability gaps.
• Define asset lifecycle strategies including repair/rebuild criteria, spare parts optimization, and capital replacement planning.
• Support commissioning, installation, and qualification of new production equipment.

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)

• Champion TPM initiatives across manufacturing operations.
• Develop autonomous maintenance standards and operator care programs.
• Facilitate focused improvement (Kaizen) events targeting equipment losses and productivity constraints.
• Drive implementation of TPM pillars including planned maintenance, quality maintenance, and early equipment management.
• Train operations and maintenance personnel on TPM methodologies and best practices.
• Lead cross-functional teams to improve equipment ownership and accountability.

Predictive & Preventive Maintenance

• Design and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance programs for the magnet manufacturing equipment.
• Utilize predictive maintenance technologies including: condition monitoring systems, thermography, ultrasonic inspection, etc
• Evaluate and implement Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies for asset monitoring.
• Improve CMMS utilization for work order management, maintenance scheduling, and asset history tracking.
• Establish maintenance planning and scheduling best practices to minimize unplanned downtime.

OEE & Continuous Improvement

• Lead OEE improvement initiatives focused on availability, performance, and quality.
• Identify and eliminate the "Six Big Losses" impacting manufacturing performance.
• Develop equipment dashboards and KPI reporting systems for real-time performance visibility.
• Partner with production leadership to improve cycle times, throughput, scrap reduction, and process capability.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles to equipment and process optimization.
• Drive data-based decision-making using statistical analysis and manufacturing metrics.

Technical Leadership

• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to maintenance technicians, engineers, and production teams.
• Develop engineering standards, SOPs, PM procedures, and equipment documentation.
• Support safety initiatives and ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company standards.
• Interface with OEMs, contractors, and suppliers for technical support and equipment upgrades.
• Participate in budgeting and capital planning for maintenance and reliability improvements.
• Perform additional duties as required to support operational and strategic objectives.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing or Metallurgical Engineering.

• Experience:

• 8+ years' experience in powder metallurgy manufacturing equipment engineering, maintenance engineering, or reliability engineering.
• Demonstrated experience implementing TPM and reliability-centered maintenance programs.
• Experience with OEE tracking and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proficiency with CMMS systems.

• Experience with predictive analytics and industrial IoT platforms.

Other requirements:

• This position may require access to ITAR-controlled technical data and services. As such, all applicants must be U.S. persons, as defined by ITAR, to be considered for this role. A U.S. person is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or individual with protected status under U.S. immigration laws. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will not be considered for the position.

Technical Expertise:

Strong knowledge of:

• Powder metallurgy processes
• Hydraulic and pneumatic systems
• Industrial automation and controls
• High-temperature vacuum furnace systems
• Industrial powder compaction systems
• Mechanical design and machine troubleshooting
• CAD software
• PLC systems
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• OEE improvement
• Mean Time…