Senior Reliability Engineer - UAS Systems Reliability

Reposted 20 Days Ago
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Huntington Beach, CA, USA
In-Office
110K-195K Annually
Senior level
Defense
The Role
Own end-to-end reliability lifecycle for UAS platforms and subsystems. Define reliability requirements and metrics, run reliability testing and life-cycle modeling, analyze field and test data to identify root causes and trends, drive corrective actions, and report reliability posture to leadership while ensuring compliance with safety-critical standards.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Mach Industries

Founded in 2022, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

The Role

Mach Industries is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to build and own the reliability program for our UAS platforms. This role is for someone who gets close to hardware, test setups, manufacturing, and field symptoms to identify reliability risks before clean data exists. You will help engineering teams make better design, test, production, and sustainment decisions.

This is a hands-on foundational role where you will work directly with hardware, test setups, failure evidence, and engineering teams to shape reliability outcomes. Our programs move fast with extensive prototyping, which means the right person must make reliability-based decisions from minimal data while requesting targeted tests to quantify risk. The ideal candidate can use reliability block diagrams, FMEA/FMECA, root cause analysis, and component-level test planning to find high-risk failure points and recommend concrete mitigations under schedule pressure.

Key Responsibilities
  • Build and maintain a practical reliability program spanning hardware, electrical systems, firmware-enabled systems, production processes, and field feedback.

  • Use reliability block diagrams and FMECA to identify single-point failures, cascading effects, and high-risk dependencies across vehicle architectures.

  • Recommend specific component, subsystem, environmental, and screening tests based on failure hypotheses and mission risk.

  • Lead root cause investigations using teardown, test data, manufacturing records, and field evidence.

  • Establish lightweight failure-reporting and corrective-action workflows that drive design, test, and production changes at the pace the program demands.

  • Decide what reliability work must happen now, what can stay lightweight, and what can be deferred while communicating residual risk.

  • Partner cross-functionally with design, test, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and field operations to close reliability gaps.

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Systems Engineering (or related).

  • 5+ years of reliability, test, failure analysis, or hardware systems engineering experience with complex electromechanical systems.

  • Demonstrated hands-on application of reliability block diagrams, FMEA/FMECA, and root cause failure analysis that resulted in design, test, or production changes.

  • Experience recommending specific tests or mitigations from reliability analysis or failure investigation.

  • Ability to work from messy or incomplete data and convert findings into clear engineering actions.

  • Cross-functional experience with design, test, manufacturing, quality, or field operations teams.

  • Strong communication skills for explaining reliability risks to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Aerospace, defense, UAS, robotics, autonomous systems, or automotive hardware environment experience.

  • Environmental, qualification, or accelerated life testing experience.

  • Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-1629, MIL-HDBK-217, ARP4761, or similar reliability standards.

  • FRACAS, field failure tracking, or closed-loop corrective action system experience.

  • Startup or growth-stage company experience where reliability processes were still being built.

Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.

Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach’s total compensation package. Mach offers benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you’d like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!

Skills Required

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic, Aerospace, Systems Engineering or related discipline
  • 5+ years of reliability engineering or similar experience in complex hardware-centric systems (preferably aerospace/defense/unmanned systems or high-reliability industrial/automotive)
  • Demonstrated experience applying reliability methods such as FMEA, FMECA, and RCFA
  • Strong data-analysis skills: ingest large datasets (field returns, operational logs), perform statistical/trend analysis, build dashboards, derive actionable insights
  • Experience with reliability testing: accelerated life tests, environmental stress screening, vibration/thermal/thermal-cycle/shock/humidity, life-cycle modelling
  • Knowledge of safety-critical system standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., MIL-STD, DO-178, DO-254)
  • Prior experience in UAS/unmanned aerial systems, defense/mission-critical systems, or high-availability aerospace systems
  • Hands-on experience collaborating with design/production/field teams and influencing product changes based on reliability findings
  • Familiarity with manufacturing and supplier reliability practices and reliability in high-volume production environments
  • Experience working with growth-stage companies, building reliability infrastructure from the ground up
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The Company
HQ: Austin, TX
36 Employees
Year Founded: 2022

What We Do

Mach Industries is a defense manufacturing company that deploys advanced aircraft to greatly increase military capability. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California and backed by leading venture firms such as Sequoia Capital and Bedrock Capital, Mach Industries is an engineering-obsessed team pursuing focused product bets to create value for the defense customer. They are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security. Mach Industries is committed to vertically integrated manufacturing that ensures supply chain resiliency and accelerates the pace of defense innovation.

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