Reliability Engineer

Overview We're hiring a Reliability Engineer to lead and mature the reliability strategy at one of East Tennessee's fastest-growing plastics manufacturers. As the company breaks ground on its third facility in Morristown, this role is critical to ensuring that the foundation of its operations, equipment, processes, and people, are prepared to scale with confidence. This is a hands-on, cross-functional engineering role where you'll drive reliability initiatives across production, maintenance, and engineering. You'll lead efforts to reduce downtime, extend asset life, and embed a culture of proactive maintenance. With a wide array of plastics processing equipment?including extruders, grinders, heaters, conveyors, and chillers?you'll develop systems to prevent failures and improve performance across a growing facility footprint. The company is privately owned, has been in operation for over 40 years, and prides itself on stability, rapid growth, and exceptional employee benefits, including 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. If you?re energized by building systems, leading change, and being part of a business on the rise, this is a compelling opportunity to make a lasting impact. Compensation

• 85-95K

• 100% Company-Paid medical, dental, and vision
• 401(k) retirement savings plan + matching
• Tuition Reimbursement
• PTO, holidays, and personal leave

• Equipment Reliability Strategy ? Guide reliability and maintainability initiatives across new and existing equipment, ensuring long-term performance and safety of all mechanical systems, utilities, and controls.
• Maintenance Program Design ? Define and refine preventive and predictive maintenance programs. Leverage non-destructive testing methods and condition monitoring to reduce unplanned downtime.
• Failure Analysis & Problem Solving ? Lead root cause investigations for repetitive or high-impact failures. Develop and implement corrective actions that improve reliability, quality, and throughput.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration ? Work closely with maintenance, production, and engineering teams to align reliability goals with operational priorities.
• Documentation & Compliance ? Create and maintain reliability documentation, including maintenance plans, technical procedures, and change management protocols.
• Training & Support ? Provide technical support and develop targeted training programs for maintenance personnel to elevate skill sets and system understanding.
• Continuous Improvement ? Support site-wide initiatives to improve cost, safety, and operational excellence. Participate in kaizen activities and engineering-led projects.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related field)
• 3+ years of experience in reliability, maintenance, engineering, or manufacturing
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and lead reliability-focused projects
• Strong problem-solving capabilities and attention to detail
• Willingness to work directly on the floor with maintenance and operations teams in response to critical equipment needs
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; capable of delivering presentations and collaborating across departments

• Prior experience in a maintenance leadership or technical troubleshooting capacity
• Familiarity with plastics manufacturing equipment and processes (e.g., extruders, grinders, chillers, heaters)
• Experience developing preventive maintenance systems and using predictive tools (vibration, thermal, oil analysis, etc.)
• Exposure to root cause analysis methods (RCA, 5 Whys, FMEA), and lean manufacturing principles

Benefits Compensation

• 85-95K

• 100% Company-Paid medical, dental, and vision
• 401(k) retirement savings plan + matching
• Tuition Reimbursement
• PTO, holidays, and personal leave