Senior Reliability Engineer

Type One Energy•Knoxville, TN

23h•Onsite

About The Position

Type One Energy are seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer who will be responsible for developing and executing reliability assessment to build a detailed maintenance strategy. The goal of this effort is to provide operational certainty across the lifecycle of our fusion systems—from concept and design through fabrication, testing, commissioning, and operation. This role will partner closely with mechanical, electrical, cryogenic, plasma, controls, manufacturing, and operations teams to identify risks and implement countermeasures to improve system robustness partially by leveraging real-time data to enable reliability improvements. This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives in complex, first-of-a-kind environments and enjoys influencing design decisions to ensure long-term operability and maintainability of advanced technical systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related discipline.
10+ years of experience in reliability engineering or closely related roles.
Hands-on experience applying reliability analysis techniques (FMEA, FTA, RBD, life-data analysis).
Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and system-level interactions.
Experience working with complex, high-reliability systems in industries such as energy, nuclear, aerospace, defense, semiconductors, or advanced manufacturing.
Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and translate findings into actionable engineering recommendations.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement reliability engineering methodologies for fusion systems, subsystems, and components.
Perform reliability analyses including: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA / FMECA) Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD)
Support probabilistic risk assessments and system-level reliability modeling.
Collaborate with engineering teams to influence design decisions early in the development lifecycle to improve reliability, maintainability, and serviceability.
Review designs, specifications, and test plans to identify reliability risks related to materials, tolerances, interfaces, thermal loads, radiation, vacuum, cryogenic conditions, and high-power operation.
Support development and execution of qualification, acceptance, and stress testing programs.
Analyze test and operational data to identify failure trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
Lead or support root cause failure analysis (RCFA) and corrective action planning.
Support commissioning and early operations by monitoring system performance and failure data.
Develop maintenance and inspection strategies informed by reliability analysis.
Contribute to spare parts strategies, maintenance intervals, and long-term lifecycle planning.