Reliability Engineer

About Umicore

Reducing harmful vehicle emissions. Powering the cars of the future. Giving new life to used metals. We are the leading circular materials technology company fulfilling its mission to create materials for a better life. With ambitions like this, imagine what you could do?

About Fuel Cell and Stationary Catalysts

High-performance stationary catalysts. Next generation fuel-cell technologies. With clean air and green mobility playing a vital part in protecting the world of tomorrow, our design and production of these sustainable solutions has never been more crucial. Developing innovative products for a broad range of industries, we’re creating a better future by helping customers reach zero emission mobility and power supply. To keep improving the way the world moves we cannot stand still. We need to find new ways to do things, discover new solutions and develop new ideas. Which is where you come in.

What you will be doing

Position Summary

The Reliability Consultant will provide expert guidance, assessment, and hands‑on support to strengthen the plant’s maintenance systems, preventive maintenance program, spare parts strategy, and overall equipment reliability. This role will partner with the Maintenance Manager and plant leadership team to identify systemic gaps, implement best practices, and build sustainable processes that reduce downtime and improve asset performance.

This position is focused on organizational improvement, not individual performance evaluation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Reliability & Maintenance System Assessment

• Conduct a comprehensive diagnostic review of current maintenance practices, workflows, staffing, and system maturity.
• Evaluate PM/PdM programs, schedule compliance, corrective maintenance backlog, and critical asset strategies.
• Identify sources of recurring failures, reactive maintenance drivers, and chronic downtime issues.

2. Preventive & Predictive Maintenance Optimization

• Review and optimize preventive maintenance tasks based on OEM guidance, failure history, and reliability principles.
• Recommend predictive technologies (vibration analysis, thermography, lubrication programs, etc.) as needed.
• Develop or refine asset criticality rankings and maintenance strategies for each class of equipment.

3. Work Management Process Improvement

• Assess and redesign work identification, work order planning, job kitting, and scheduling workflows.
• Standardize processes for prioritization, job plans, documentation, and close‑out quality.
• Establish KPIs for maintenance effectiveness (MTBF, MTTR, PM compliance, backlog quality, etc.).

4. Spare Parts, Inventory, and SAP Data Integrity

• Audit storeroom processes, parts usage discipline, and inventory accuracy.
• Identify missing or incorrect SAP min/max levels and lead an initiative to correct and sustain them.
• Recommend improvements to parts check‑out processes, materials management roles, and reorder triggers.

5. Coaching & Capability Building

• Provide guidance, mentoring, and practical coaching to the Maintenance Manager, Planner, and key technicians.
• Support development of skills in reliability fundamentals, planning/scheduling, and root cause analysis.
• Facilitate cross‑functional alignment with Operations on maintenance discipline and expectations.

6. Root Cause Analysis Support

• Lead or coach the team through structured RCA (Root Cause Analysis) and problem‑solving activities.
• Ensure meaningful corrective actions are identified, executed, and verified for effectiveness.

7. Automation & Technical Support (as applicable)

• Identify gaps in controls/automation support and help develop a redundancy or resilience strategy.
• Provide recommendations for long‑term automation staffing or resource support.

8. Reporting & Leadership Alignment

• Communicate progress, risks, and key findings to plant leadership in a structured, factual manner.
• Develop a roadmap for long-term maintenance and reliability maturity improvements.
• Deliver documented systems, procedures, and training materials before the assignment concludes.

Who we are looking for

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial) or related field preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in maintenance, reliability engineering, or asset management in manufacturing, refining, or similar industrial environments.
• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) or equivalent strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience implementing reliability strategies such as RCM, FMEA, PM optimization, and predictive technologies.
• Strong knowledge of CMMS/EAM systems (SAP experience highly preferred).
• Proven experience coaching or developing maintenance leaders and frontline teams.
• Strong analytical, communication, and change‑management skills.
• Ability to build trust while driving organizational improvements.

Key Competencies

• Reliability engineering expertise
• Coaching and mentoring
• Process design and system thinking
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Data analysis and root cause analysis
• Ability to influence without authority
• Strong communication and documentation skills

What we offer

We aim to lead the way. Not just for our customers, but for our employees too. That is why we strive to create a collaborative environment in which we can all succeed, and a culture through which we can all share ideas, develop our expertise and advance our careers. We engage in building an inclusive work culture that offers equal opportunities for all employees irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. As you would expect from a world-leading organisation, we will also reward your contribution with a competitive salary and benefits. With all this and more, imagine what you could do?

If my expertise can help us reduce global emissions, IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD DO?