Senior Reliability Engineer - UAS Systems Reliability

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…