Reliability Engineer III

At GAF, we cover more than just buildings. We cover each other. Under this roof, you will have the tools and resources you need to grow and develop in your career. You will experience our incredible culture and will be empowered to support your teammates, your customers, and especially your community. Under this roof, we define the future while leading the present through our deep well of experience and our responsibility to the future to drive improvements and innovation in our products. We are GAF. And under this roof, we protect what matters most.

About GAF - Newton, Kansas

Newton is a vibrant Kansas community founded in 1871 on a spirit of work, from its earliest days as a railroad, agriculture and cattle drive hub. With a population of about 20,000, Newton and neighboring North Newton features an active arts community, three National Historic Districts, a variety of museums, trails, restaurants, shops and attractions, Bethel College, award winning school districts, a championship golf course, first-class convention center and many other amenities. This collaborative region is close to dynamic Wichita and may be the next best place for you to call home, in GAF’s newest “Field of Dreams!”

New Plant, New Opportunities

If you haven’t been part of a greenfield startup, now is your chance. GAF is the North American leader in residential roofing materials. We are honored to be constructing our newest shingle manufacturing facility in Newton KS and hiring is underway as we build our initial plant leadership team. Due to our investment in training and the development of employees, you will have the opportunity to travel to our other locations, engage with peers, support the hiring of plant staff and participate in the design and construction of the facility. Expect your first years to be rewarding and challenging with an amazing team fully supporting you. You will wear many hats during the construction and commissioning phases of the project, and ease into your steady role over time.

Job Summary

The Reliability Engineer III is an expert-level position, driving significant improvements in machine operating time, uptime, and overall equipment reliability. This position holds overall strategic leadership responsibility for the site's Reliability program, leading its development and continuous improvement across all operations functions. As a strategic leader and peer to Maintenance and Production Managers, the Reliability Engineer III applies advanced engineering expertise to prevent failures, optimize maintenance activities, and manage complex projects with site-wide impact. This dynamic role also oversees MRO storeroom functions, integrates reliability elements into storeroom processes, and champions Operator Care initiatives (TPM), influencing internal and external stakeholders through strong communication, problem-solving, and cross-functional leadership to achieve strategic change.

To support our founding team in Newton, we are offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus for this position.

Essential Duties

• Promotes a safe and clean work environment where safety is the highest priority and embedded in our culture.
• Guide technicians in gathering predictive data, ensuring proper techniques through training and established procedures.
• Initiate work orders for equipment showing signs of failure and follow up on their completion.
• Optimize existing predictive routes and expand programs as needed.
• Develop engineering solutions to address problems identified during root cause analyses.
• Prepare capital requests for various projects.
• Collaborate with planners and schedulers to effectively delegate internal labor resources.
• Prepare project scopes and review them with contractors for external labor needs.
• Ensure timely project completion while adhering to budget constraints.
• Review preventive maintenance (PM) schedules and plans to ensure appropriate frequency and scope.
• Conduct Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) on machinery.
• Perform comprehensive asset analyses, including utilization, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), remaining useful life, and other relevant parameters to assess condition, reliability, and costs.
• Establish preventive maintenance requirements and service contracts, identify critical spares, and evaluate new equipment and techniques to ensure equipment reliability.
• Monitor and confirm equipment reliability through regular audits and performance tracking using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Utilize Pareto analysis to identify key equipment failures and maintenance spending areas of greatest concern.
• Track maintenance department KPIs to assess departmental effectiveness.
• Monitor equipment failures, analyze costs using Pareto principles, and identify the root causes of equipment failures.
• Formulate teams to address equipment failures and develop action items to prevent recurrence.
• Track action items and drive to completion to reduce maintenance costs. Prioritize and promote a safe and clean work environment, embedding safety as the highest priority in our culture.
• Perform other job duties as assigned

Qualifications Required

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

• 5+ years demonstrated industrial  manufacturing experience, preferably in a continuous manufacturing process.
• 5+ years of plant maintenance experience
• 5+years of experience in maintenance and reliability improvement
• Willingness & aptitude to pursue Level 1 certifications in Thermography, Vibration Analysis, and Machinery Lubrication within your first two years, as business priorities allow. (Note: Prior certifications obtained through GAF or another employer may fully satisfy this expectation).

General Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Excellent interpersonal skills

• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to quality and accuracy
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Able to influence and lead others over whom he/she has no direct authority.
• Willing to drive for change in the interest of continuous improvement.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to work under limited supervision make independent judgement and decisions as necessary.
• Excellent organization skills.

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced  knowledge of CMMS/Inventory Management software.
• Intermediate proficiency in G suite
• Expertise in applying advanced  probability and statistical modeling, and prediction reliability tools to forecast equipment life, assess system reliability, and make data-driven decisions.
• Expertise in complex equipment types and their failure mechanisms across diverse industrial systems, including but not limited to advanced rotating machinery, complex hydraulic and pneumatic systems, advanced bearing analysis, and sophisticated lubrication management programs.
• Advanced  proficiency using root cause analysis to troubleshoot and solve problems
• Extensive experience and strategic application of all major Predictive Maintenance (PdM) tools and techniques, including advanced interpretation and program management for Vibration Analysis, Infrared Thermography, Ultrasonic Testing, Oil Analysis, Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA), and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). You'll lead the selection, implementation, and optimization of these technologies.
• Deep expertise in Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) analysis processes, including leading comprehensive asset criticality assessments across entire facilities, facilitating complex Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) studies, and driving PM/PdM optimization strategies for maximum asset availability and lowest life-cycle cost.
• Command of precision maintenance technologies and practices, including advanced laser alignment, dynamic balancing, machine shop practices, and the development of engineering specifications for maintaining machinery to world-class tolerances.
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills, capable of diagnosing highly com