Mechanical Reliability Engineer

Abbott • Chicago, IL

3d • $86,700 - $173,300 • Onsite

About The Position

The Mechanical Reliability Engineer is an onsite role based at Abbott Park, Illinois, within Abbott’s GES Global Engineering Services division. The position applies mechanical engineering principles, reliability methodologies, analytical problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making to improve asset performance and support Maintenance Excellence initiatives. It optimizes the reliability, availability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance of manufacturing equipment and critical plant assets through design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.

The role leads the development and ongoing improvement of preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs to maximize equipment uptime, reduce total cost of ownership, and improve operational efficiency. It uses failure analysis, condition monitoring, root cause investigations, and reliability engineering tools to identify and mitigate equipment risks, prevent recurring failures, and enhance asset integrity.

The engineer manages maintenance engineering support, coordinates plant shutdown and turnaround execution, supports maintenance and capital budgets, and provides technical leadership for equipment upgrades and capital improvement projects. The position collaborates with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, vendors, and other stakeholders to support production objectives while maintaining safety, quality, and compliance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or a closely related discipline is preferred; the posting states “Bachelors Degree (± 16 years).”
• Minimum of 3 years of significant engineering and/or operational experience.
• Knowledge of applicable regulatory standards and requirements for division products.
• Working technical knowledge of maintenance programs.
• Ability to exercise judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.
• Strong technical knowledge, troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, and familiarity with computer systems, including Windows desktop software.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong work ethic, safety-conscious philosophy, customer service orientation, communication skills, initiative, planning and organizing, teamwork, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, goal-driven environment and interact effectively with diverse engineering and maintenance groups.
• Ability to communicate respectfully and tactfully orally, in writing, and in presentations; listen to differing perspectives and negotiate or reconcile differences.
• Strong proven leadership experience, including supervision of direct reports and influence with senior leadership.
• Experience generating and managing financial budgets, and ability to manage a department in the absence of the department manager.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with reliability-centered maintenance.
• Technical background in healthcare, nutritional products, laboratory diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceutical, or similar industries.
• Previous experience as a mechanic, electrician, or instrument technician.
• Extensive experience leading or managing projects or process improvement initiatives.
• Previous Lean Six Sigma training.

Responsibilities

• Ensure implementation, compliance, and continuing effectiveness of the site Quality Management System while supporting operational excellence, equipment reliability, and process performance.
• Lead and coordinate maintenance and reliability engineering initiatives within the Maintenance Excellence program; develop, execute, and monitor project plans.
• Coordinate project resources, including personnel, materials, budgets, and schedules, and participate in site assessments, capital planning, economic evaluations, and feasibility analyses.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret equipment maintenance and manufacturing performance data from Maximo and other asset management platforms.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance; develop recommendations and action plans for cost reduction, maintenance optimization, and operational efficiency.
• Support implementation of predictive maintenance, reliability-centered maintenance, and condition-based monitoring programs, and evaluate emerging technologies and industry practices through benchmarking.
• Monitor equipment performance, downtime trends, component failures, and changeover effectiveness; conduct or facilitate root cause failure analysis, failure mode and effects analysis, and reliability studies.
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve uptime, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance asset utilization and process efficiency.
• Serve as a technical resource and mentor to maintenance personnel, engineers, and operations teams through guidance, training, and knowledge sharing.
• Prepare technical reports, engineering assessments, and project documentation, and communicate recommendations and implementation plans to stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards, EHS&E requirements, corporate engineering standards, and regulatory expectations; assess the effects of equipment, process, and maintenance changes and mitigate related risks.
• Develop and maintain engineering procedures, maintenance standards, and mechanical asset management best practices.
• Provide technical direction to maintenance technicians, contractors, and external service providers; oversee preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
• Work directly with manufacturing teams to support production schedules and address asset performance issues.
• Lead capital improvement projects, equipment upgrades, and Operational Excellence initiatives.
• Develop, implement, and verify corrective actions arising from reliability investigations, exception reports, and continuous improvement activities.
• Coordinate plant shutdown and turnaround execution, support maintenance and capital budgets, and provide technical leadership for equipment upgrades and capital improvement projects.

Benefits

• Career development opportunities with an international company.
• Employees may qualify for free medical coverage in the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• Retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Freedom 2 Save student debt program.
• FreeU education benefit, providing an affordable and convenient path to earning a bachelor’s degree.

What This Job Offers

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