Senior Reliability Engineer

Requisition ID # 156808 

Job Category: Engineering / Science 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Electric Engineering

Work Type: Onsite

Job Location: San Ramon; Danville

Department Overview

Applied Technology Services (ATS) has been providing technology-based, innovative, high-value services to the company for over 40 years. ATS is a multidisciplinary team of over 120 engineers, scientists, and technicians. The ATS vision is to be a forward-thinking, technological leader providing high-value solutions and services needed across the Company. ATS high value services also help proactively avoid future problems by specifying equipment, materials, and methods that are best practices in the industry.

Position Summary

The Applied Technology Services (ATS) Engineering staff provides engineering, testing, and analysis services and expertise across multiple disciplines to various company organizations to identify, diagnose, and solve technical problems. The staff provides consultation and advice to clients to proactively avoid future problems by specifying equipment, materials, and methods that are best practices in the industry. Services include inspections, failure analysis, performance assessments, and evaluations on a wide variety of systems and components ranging from in-service concrete to hydroelectric turbine blades to distributed generation. The engineering staff partners with management in the creation of bid proposals for requested client work. The incumbents maintain knowledge of and adhere to all company and regulatory safety and quality processes and procedures.

The ATS Senior Reliability Engineer:

• Utilizes root cause and failure analysis tools and methods to determine the causes of degradation or failure for utility transmission and distribution and grid edge equipment.
• Defines and distinguishes between failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) and applies these techniques to systems, products, processes, and designs.
• Performs basic statistical analysis, computes confidence and tolerance intervals, and recommends sampling plans for statistics and reliability testing.
• Uses various reliability prediction methods (e.g., Monte Carlo Simulation, part stress analysis, and parts count prediction) for both repairable and nonrepairable components and systems, and describes the inputs into the model.
• Understands life cycle reliability and develops and interprets the results of a standard design of experiments (DOE) (e.g., full factorial and fractional factorial)
• Is recognized as a subject matter expert in reliability analysis associated with products related to one discipline or type of ATS service and is capable of providing breadth of knowledge and performing analysis across several disciplines.
• Searches for new practical solutions to highly complex problems. Assesses business conditions, identifies opportunities, and develops projects & solutions from a multifunctional or multidisciplinary perspective.
• Supports project teams performing tests to identify, define, solve problems, and prepare technical reports. Helps prepare and deliver presentations and recommendations to clients based on project results/findings.

The right candidate should have 5+ years’ experience in root cause analysis, failure mode, and effects analysis (FMEA), probability and statistics for reliability, and strong experience with reliability prediction methods. Strong oral and written communication skills with a customer focus and a can-do attitude are required.  BS Engineering degree required in engineering and/or data science or similar.  Work experience in the electric, gas pipeline or power generation industries is a plus.  Travel requirement: 10% of the time, throughout the PG&E territory.

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity.  Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.​

A reasonable salary range is:

• Minimum Base Salary (Bay Area)    $122,000.00
• Mid Base Salary (Bay Area)    $158,000.00
• Maximum Base Salary (Bay Area)    $194,000.00

Responsibilities

• Safety: Demonstrate safe working practices at all times. Advocate focus on customer, general public, and employee safety in all work practices.
• Client Management: Consulting experience is a plus, excellent communication skills (oral and written) are essential. Successful candidates should work well with others and have a client focus. The job requires developing and promoting strong client relationships, having a can-do attitude, and being sensitive to client issues.
• Job Management:  Plan and direct analytics projects and administer outside contract work effectively. Experience with job development - including scope definition, schedule, and cost estimates are crucial.
• Documentation: Written documentation of results, and conformance with established practices for generating and archiving reports.  Adhere to sample logging and tracking procedures and comply with project tracking/management requirements.
• Reliability and Risk Management Fundamentals: Performance of root cause and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in support of the broader ATS failure analysis and causal evaluation and ignition analysis programs.
• Application of Probability and Statistics: Application of basic statistics including applying central limit theorem, hypothesis testing, and determination of when/how to apply certain statistical methods and/or set up a test plan to get answers to the questions at hand.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Possess a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or equivalent
• 5 years of related experience in root cause analysis

Desired:

• Possess a Certification in Reliability Engineering (CRE) by ASQ or other certifying agency
• P.E. registration
• Experience working in the gas, electric, or electric power generation industries
• Proficient in statistical and data analysis software such as Minitab or equivalent