Reliability Engineering Co-Op
ChampionX · United States, Texas, Sugar Land
Disclaimer: SLB completed the acquisition of ChampionX on July 16, 2025. If selected for this position, your employment will begin with ChampionX and will transition to SLB as part of the planned integration.
We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic undergraduate student to join our Reliability Engineering Co-Op Program in Sugar Land, Texas. This is your opportunity to join a global technology company, driving energy innovation for a balanced planet.
As a Reliability Engineering Co-Op, you will gain valuable hands-on experience supporting equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, asset performance, and continuous improvement initiatives within our Chemical Technologies division.
This opportunity combines engineering analysis with practical exposure to chemical manufacturing operations. You will collaborate with experienced reliability and process engineers, participate in equipment failure investigations, analyze maintenance data, and contribute to projects focused on improving equipment uptime and operational efficiency.
If you are eager to apply your classroom knowledge to real-world engineering challenges, develop your technical skills, and gain meaningful experience in an industrial manufacturing environment, we invite you to apply.
What's in It for You:
- Hands-On Engineering Experience: Apply classroom knowledge to real-world reliability engineering, equipment performance, and chemical manufacturing challenges.
- Professional Development: Gain practical exposure to reliability engineering methodologies, preventive maintenance strategies, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
- Meaningful Projects: Contribute to reliability improvement initiatives designed to reduce equipment failures, improve asset performance, and support manufacturing uptime.
- Collaboration and Mentorship: Work alongside experienced reliability and process engineers who will provide guidance, technical support, and professional development throughout the assignment.
- Manufacturing Exposure: Gain firsthand experience in a chemical manufacturing plant, including equipment inspections, maintenance activities, and operational reliability assessments.
- Career Development: Strengthen analytical, technical, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills while exploring potential career paths in reliability and manufacturing engineering.
- Benefits: This position is benefits-eligible in accordance with applicable company policies and program guidelines.
What You Will Do:
Responsibilities may include:
- Develop, maintain, and analyze equipment failure logs to identify recurring issues, equipment performance trends, and opportunities for reliability improvements.
- Support Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations, including cause mapping, 5-Why analysis, and other structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Assist with Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to evaluate potential equipment failures, assess operational risks, and identify preventive actions.
- Support preventive maintenance (PM) program reviews and audits to evaluate maintenance effectiveness, documentation, and compliance with established procedures.
- Assist with digitizing routine maintenance checklists and improving preventive maintenance documentation and tracking processes.
- Review and align equipment Bills of Material (BOMs) with asset criticality assessments to support maintenance planning and equipment reliability.
- Analyze equipment performance and maintenance data using Microsoft Excel and other available tools to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
- Participate in supervised plant observations, equipment inspections, maintenance audits, and reliability assessments within a chemical manufacturing environment.
- Collaborate with reliability engineers, process engineers, maintenance personnel, and operations teams to support equipment uptime and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Assist in developing technical documentation, reliability reports, maintenance recommendations, and project summaries.
- Participate in team meetings, engineering discussions, and project reviews to gain exposure to manufacturing operations and engineering best practices.
- Prepare a final presentation summarizing assigned projects, key findings, accomplishments, lessons learned, and recommendations for future improvements.
- Complete all required plant safety training and demonstrate a commitment to site safety procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, and safe work practices.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer immigration sponsorship.
- Ability and willingness to work in a chemical manufacturing environment and comply with all applicable safety requirements.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Currently enrolled as a sophomore or junior in an undergraduate engineering program.
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Strong interest in reliability engineering, equipment maintenance, manufacturing operations, or asset performance improvement.
- Basic understanding of mechanical systems, engineering principles, and industrial equipment.
- Familiarity with reliability engineering concepts, preventive maintenance practices, or equipment failure analysis.
- Exposure to Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 5-Why methodologies, or Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and communicate findings.
- Previous internship, Co-Op, academic project, manufacturing, maintenance, or other relevant technical experience.
- Familiarity with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) or Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems is beneficial but not required.
- Previous military technical experience or skilled trades experience, particularly for students returning to pursue an engineering degree.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational, and teamwork skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross-functional engineering, maintenance, and operations teams.
- Demonstrated initiative, attention to detail, adaptability, and willingness to learn in a hands-on industrial environment.
Additional Information:
This Reliability Engineering Co-Op opportunity is based in Sugar Land, Texas, and provides exposure to both engineering activities and chemical manufacturing operations.
The student will support reliability-driven projects focused on improving equipment uptime, strengthening preventive maintenance practices, and enhancing the performance of critical manufacturing assets.
The assignment will include opportunities to work alongside experienced engineering professionals, observe plant operations, participate in supervised field activities, and contribute to meaningful reliability improvement projects.
A designated reliability engineering mentor and process engineering buddy will provide guidance, technical support, and professional development throughout the assignment.
The program is designed to provide valuable real-world engineering experience, help students strengthen their professional resumes, and support their exploration of future full-time career opportunities in reliability engineering, manufacturing, and related technical disciplines.
About Us:ChampionX is now part of SLB, a global technology company driving energy innovation for a balanced planet. As innovators, that's been our mission for nearly a century.
We are a technology company that unlocks access to energy for the benefit of all. Today, we face a global imperative to create a future with more energy, but less car