Manufacturing Reliability Engineer

Michigan Milk Producers Assoc • Remus, MI

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is seeking a Manufacturing Reliability Engineer to improve equipment reliability, process performance, and control system stability across our dairy manufacturing facilities. This role is ideal for an engineer with a strong background in industrial controls, automation, or manufacturing systems who wants to expand into reliability engineering. Working closely with Maintenance and Operations, you'll investigate equipment failures, improve control systems, eliminate recurring problems, and strengthen the reliability of our manufacturing assets. This is a hands-on, plant-based engineering role focused on understanding why failures occur and implementing long-term solutions that improve manufacturing performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or related Engineering discipline (or equivalent technical experience).
• 2+ years of experience in manufacturing, controls, automation, or industrial engineering.
• Hands-on experience with PLCs, HMIs, instrumentation, VFDs, and industrial automation systems.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Ability to understand interactions between mechanical, electrical, and process systems.
• Comfortable working in a manufacturing environment and collaborating directly with operations and maintenance teams.
• Ability to interpret electrical, mechanical, and process documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in food, dairy, or other continuous process manufacturing.
• Exposure to reliability engineering tools such as Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), FMEA, or CMMS systems.
• Experience with industrial historians or process data analysis.
• Interest in developing expertise in reliability engineering through company-supported training and professional certification (CMRP/CRMP).

Responsibilities

• Investigate chronic equipment and process failures using structured root cause analysis.
• Develop and implement solutions that eliminate recurring downtime and improve asset reliability.
• Analyze downtime data, maintenance history, and field observations to identify improvement opportunities.
• Focus engineering efforts on issues that have the greatest impact on production throughput and operational stability.
• Troubleshoot and improve PLCs, HMIs, instrumentation, VFDs, and industrial control systems.
• Analyze process and control system performance to identify instability, inefficiencies, and failure trends.
• Implement control system improvements that enhance equipment reliability and manufacturing performance.
• Work closely with Maintenance and Operations to resolve complex technical issues.
• Provide engineering support during significant equipment failures and plant troubleshooting events.
• Help improve maintenance troubleshooting capability through technical coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Build strong working relationships across all levels of plant operations.
• Support reliability-focused capital improvements and engineering changes.
• Analyze recurring equipment issues and recommend long-term corrective actions.
• Participate in cross-functional improvement initiatives that increase plant reliability, efficiency, and throughput.
• Travel to other MMPA manufacturing facilities as needed.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Health and wellness benefits with medical coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield, including mental health benefits
• Disability insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement including 401k with employer contributions
• Personal and professional growth opportunities
• Employee appreciation events and recognition awards
• Employee wellness initiatives
• Employee feedback and suggestion forums

What This Job Offers

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