Manager, Product Reliability Engineering

Divergent • Torrance, CA

1d

About The Position

The Manager, Product Reliability Engineering drives build quality and mission success across Divergent’s products by leading a team focused on reliability, validation, and risk management. The role partners with cross-functional teams to ensure products meet performance, reliability, and program requirements, translating customer needs into actionable quality and reliability plans, supporting program execution, and leading structured problem-solving for failures and system issues. As both a people leader and technical contributor, the manager reinforces a reliability-first mindset, promotes consistent product quality processes, and supports reliable outcomes as Divergent’s technologies and operations scale.

The role includes leading, mentoring, and developing product reliability engineers; serving as the primary reliability partner to Program Management and Integrated Product Teams; owning Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) deliverables; leading root-cause investigations and corrective actions; and improving reliability, risk, and quality processes. Work takes place in office and manufacturing-floor environments, with occasional travel to supplier sites, testing events, and company facilities.

Requirements

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology subject to U.S. export controls.
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience in product reliability, quality, manufacturing, design, systems, or test/validation engineering.
• At least 1 year of experience leading projects or initiatives, or directly managing engineers.
• Experience solving complex, cross-functional engineering problems using structured methodologies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience directly managing engineers in a production or product development environment.
• Experience executing APQP methodologies, including FMEA, control plans, and validation planning.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple programs and competing priorities.
• Experience with structured problem-solving and failure-analysis tools such as Six Sigma, 8D, DOE, and Fault Tree Analysis.
• Experience supporting product launches from development through production.
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing, machining, and adhesive bonding.
• Familiarity with automotive and/or aerospace standards and requirements.
• Experience with data analysis and reporting tools such as Jira, SQL, and PowerBI.
• Familiarity with NX/Teamcenter or similar CAD/design platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product reliability engineers, providing day-to-day guidance, prioritization, and performance management.
• Support hiring and onboarding engineers as the team grows.
• Reinforce best practices in reliability engineering, risk management, and problem-solving.
• Act as the primary reliability partner to Program Management and Integrated Product Teams at the program level.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to align requirements, design intent, and production capability.
• Support interpretation of customer and regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, verifiable product quality objectives.
• Escalate risks, tradeoffs, and constraints to senior leadership as needed.
• Own execution of APQP deliverables, including FMEA, control plans, and validation activities.
• Ensure product and process risks are identified, documented, and actively managed within programs.
• Support development and refinement of quality control plans and validation strategies.
• Track and report reliability metrics, risks, and readiness at the program level.
• Lead structured root-cause investigations and corrective-action efforts for product and process failures.
• Facilitate cross-functional issue resolution and nonconformance reviews.
• Drive accountability for containment, corrective actions, and verification of effectiveness.
• Promote structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, 5 Whys, and FMEA.
• Contribute to developing and improving reliability, risk, and quality processes.
• Help standardize tools, templates, and best practices across programs.
• Support implementation of scalable systems for increasing product complexity and production volume.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities.
• Paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, including a year-end shutdown.
• Paid parental leave.
• Health and wellness benefits, including HMO and Premium PPO options.
• Company-sponsored life insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Reimbursement opportunities for learning and development initiatives.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager