Staff Maintenance / Reliability Engineer
Vulcan Elements · Benson, NC
Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Integrity.
As our Staff Maintenance / Reliability Engineer you will support equipment design, installation, commissioning, and startup while developing maintenance strategies and technical standards that sustain safe, reliable production. Core responsibilities include detailed equipment failure analysis, materials of construction evaluations, engineered seal and gasket selection, and development of preventive and predictive maintenance programs. The role will also help build the site's CMMS, translating OEM requirements and operating experience into accurate asset data and executable maintenance plans.
The ideal candidate combines sound engineering judgment with practical experience troubleshooting complex industrial equipment. They will work directly with technicians, equipment vendors, R&D, Operations, and Engineering to resolve technical problems, capture lessons from the pilot plant, and continuously improve equipment performance.
Responsibilities
- Lead detailed equipment and component failure investigations, including field inspection, teardown, operating-data review, materials evaluation, root cause determination, and verification of corrective actions.
- Identify and evaluate failure mechanisms such as fatigue, corrosion, erosion, abrasion, thermal degradation, chemical incompatibility, mechanical overstress, and premature component wear.
- Apply equipment criticality assessments, FMEA, and reliability-centered maintenance principles to identify risks, prioritize improvements, and define appropriate maintenance strategies.
- Analyze downtime, repeat failures, MTBF, MTTR, and maintenance history to establish reliability priorities and measure the effectiveness of engineered solutions.
- Engage OEMs, component suppliers, and technical laboratories as needed to validate failure mechanisms, specify design improvements, and prevent recurrence.
- Evaluate and recommend materials of construction for equipment components based on temperature, pressure, vacuum service, process chemistry, corrosion, erosion, wear, and mechanical loading.
- Develop component-selection and replacement strategies for gaskets, O-rings, mechanical seals, packing, and other sealing systems, considering chemical compatibility, thermal cycling, leakage risk, operating life, and serviceability.
- Investigate seal and gasket failures, including compression set, chemical attack, extrusion, thermal aging, installation damage, and sealing-surface deterioration; translate findings into improved specifications and maintenance practices.
- Work with Engineering, OEMs, and Procurement to validate component alternatives, standardize approved materials and sealing designs, and establish reliable spare-part specifications.
Maintenance Engineering and CMMS Setup
- Help configure and populate the CMMS from startup, including equipment asset registers, functional locations, hierarchies, equipment criticality, and master data standards.
- Develop asset-specific PM and predictive maintenance content: inspection routines, lubrication requirements, task instructions, frequencies, condition-monitoring points, estimated labor, and initial job plans.
- Establish equipment bills of materials, critical-spares recommendations, component specifications, interchangeability information, and replacement criteria in coordination with MRO and Maintenance leadership.
- Define consistent equipment failure codes, maintenance history requirements, and technical documentation; validate asset data and work-order workflows before equipment handover.
- Use commissioning results, pilot experience, and maintenance history to refine PM strategies, improve CMMS data quality, and eliminate unnecessary or ineffective maintenance tasks.
Pilot Plant Support, Commissioning and Equipment Readiness
- Provide hands-on maintenance and reliability engineering support to the R&D pilot plant, including troubleshooting, equipment inspections, component evaluations, and recurring-failure investigations.
- Capture pilot operating experience, equipment failure modes, wear patterns, and maintenance learnings; translate these into commercial equipment specifications, spare-parts strategies, and maintenance plans.
- Participate in design reviews, equipment installation, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup to identify maintainability risks and verify equipment readiness for sustained operation.
- Work with OEMs and project teams to resolve reliability, sealing, materials compatibility, access, and serviceability concerns before equipment turnover.
- Establish equipment baseline condition, maintenance documentation, PM content, special tools, and critical spares required for a disciplined handover to Operations and Maintenance.
Technical Support, Safety and Continuous Improvement
- Partner with Maintenance Managers and skilled trades on complex troubleshooting, precision installation, alignment, lubrication, inspection methods, and post-maintenance verification.
- Support mechanical integrity, equipment inspection, engineering change control, and safe maintenance practices for high-hazard manufacturing equipment and systems.
- Develop technical scopes and justifications for component upgrades, reliability modifications, and capital improvements that reduce downtime and lifecycle cost.
Responsibilities are representative and may change with business needs and the specific role.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent technical education and substantial relevant industrial experience may be considered.
- 5+ of maintenance engineering, reliability engineering, or equipment engineering experience in an industrial manufacturing or process environment.
- Strong working knowledge of industrial machinery and manufacturing systems, including mechanical equipment, rotating assets, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and automated production equipment.
- Demonstrated experience conducting detailed equipment failure investigations and implementing sustainable engineering solutions to recurring reliability problems.
- Practical knowledge of materials compatibility, industrial seals and gaskets, common component degradation mechanisms, and appropriate material selection for process service.
- Experience developing preventive maintenance content, equipment asset data, technical documentation, and CMMS maintenance plans, with strong field troubleshooting and cross-functional communication skills.
- Working knowledge of industrial maintenance safety, including LOTO, stored-energy hazards, and safe work practices around complex industrial equipment.
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting pilot plants, greenfield facilities, major equipment installation, commissioning, or production ramp-up.
- Background in metals processing, chemical manufacturing, advanced materials, automotive, or other equipment-intensive manufacturing; experience with furnaces, vacuum systems, powder handling, or precision machinery is particularly relevant.
- Familiarity with RCM, condition monitoring, mechanical integrity programs, and reliability certifications such as CMRP or CRE.
Physical and Environmental Requirements
The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and wo