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Reliability Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Nextpower is seeking a Sr. Director of Reliability to define and lead the company's global reliability strategy across all products and lifecycle phases. This senior leadership role will ensure that ...

Nextpower is seeking a Sr. Director of Reliability to define and lead the company's global reliability strategy across all products and lifecycle phases. This senior leadership role will ensure that ...

Santa Clara, California, United States of America The Robotics and Digital solutions (RAD) group, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, is recruiting for a Director of Reliability ...

Reliability Engineer

Milpitas, CA

$116.80K - $147.10K/yr

Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority. * Comfortable working in ... Exposure to manufacturing reliability and applied failure physics. * Advanced technical education ...

Reliability Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$116.80K - $147.10K/yr

Comfortable influencing others without direct authority. Ability to drive design teams toward reliability improvements. Ability to present to executives (with support as needed). Outgoing ...

New

Staff Reliability Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$108.80K - $137K/yr

The Staff Reliability Engineer will lead reliability strategy for data center products. This role ... direct reports) Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a ...

Reliability Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$110.10K - $138.50K/yr

Supports the Lead Reliability Engineer and performs tasks assigned by same and/or the Shared Services Director * Monitors failure data generated by customers using product to ascertain potential ...

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Reliability Director information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Reliability Director, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Reliability Director, you need deep expertise in reliability engineering principles, asset management, and a relevant engineering degree, often complemented by certifications like Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE). Familiarity with reliability software (such as ReliaSoft or RAM analysis tools), root cause analysis methodologies, and CMMS systems is typically required. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills help drive cross-functional teams and foster a culture of continuous improvement. These skills ensure optimal equipment uptime, cost efficiency, and long-term operational success.

How does a Reliability Director typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve organizational performance?

A Reliability Director frequently partners with engineering, operations, maintenance, and safety teams to identify and address potential points of failure across systems and processes. This collaborative approach ensures that reliability strategies are aligned with production goals and safety standards. Regular meetings, data sharing, and joint problem-solving sessions are key aspects of this teamwork, allowing the director to lead initiatives for root cause analysis, preventive maintenance, and process optimization. These relationships are vital to implementing effective reliability programs and driving continuous improvement throughout the organization.

What does a Reliability Director do?

A Reliability Director is responsible for overseeing and improving the reliability and performance of systems, equipment, or processes within an organization. They lead teams to develop and implement maintenance strategies, analyze failure data, and ensure that assets run efficiently with minimal downtime. This role often involves collaborating with other departments to promote best practices and drive a culture of continuous improvement. The Reliability Director also monitors key performance indicators and leads initiatives to reduce operational risks and costs.

What is the difference between Reliability Director vs Reliability Engineer?

AspectReliability DirectorReliability Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, certifications like CRC, CMRPBachelor's in Engineering or related field, certifications like CRC, CMRP often preferred
Work EnvironmentLeadership role overseeing reliability strategies across departmentsTechnical role focused on analyzing data and improving equipment reliability
Employer & IndustryManufacturing, energy, oil & gas, utilitiesManufacturing, energy, oil & gas, utilities
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding leadership responsibilities and qualificationsTechnical reliability analysis and improvement tasks

The Reliability Director focuses on strategic leadership, overseeing reliability programs and managing teams, while the Reliability Engineer handles technical analysis, equipment maintenance, and reliability improvements. Both roles are vital in ensuring operational efficiency but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Reliability jobs in California? The most popular types of Reliability jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Reliability Director jobs in California? For Reliability Director jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Reliability Director jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Reliability Director jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Reliability Director jobs? Cities in California with the most Reliability Director job openings:
Infographic showing various Reliability Director job openings in California as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 67% Full Time, and 33% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Sr. Director, Reliability

Nextpower

Fremont, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 21 days ago


Job description

Job Description:
Nextpower is seeking a Sr. Director of Reliability to define and lead the company's global reliability strategy across all products and lifecycle phases. This senior leadership role will ensure that product performance, durability, and risk are fully understood, quantified, and actively managed in alignment with business objectives.
This role serves as the enterprise authority on product reliability risk, enabling decisive action under uncertainty while balancing innovation velocity, product performance, financial exposure, and brand integrity. The Sr. Director will play a critical role in positioning reliability not only as a risk management function, but as a competitive advantage that strengthens customer confidence, supports bankability, and differentiates our products in the marketplace.
Key Responsibilities:
Enterprise Reliability Strategy
  • Define and deploy a global reliability strategy spanning design, validation, qualification, and field performance over its lifetime.
  • Standardize reliability methodologies, tools, and processes across regions and product lines.
  • Embed reliability as a core pillar of product development and business decision-making.

Product Risk Governance & Decision-Making
  • Own executive-level assessment of product reliability risk for new product introductions and major design changes.
  • Drive and, where necessary, make go/no-go decisions under conditions of incomplete or evolving data.
  • Balance tradeoffs between time-to-market, product performance, warranty exposure, and brand impact.

Reliability as a Competitive Advantage
  • Position reliability as a key differentiator in product strategy and customer value proposition.
  • Partner with Product Management and Marketing teams to translate reliability performance into customer-facing benefits, including improved system economics and long-term performance confidence.
  • Support bankability efforts by ensuring reliability data and methodologies meet the expectations of customers, investors, and external stakeholders.

Financial & Business Risk Integration
  • Use reliability insights to help make meaningful business impacts, including:
    • Warranty reserve requirements,
    • Lifecycle cost projections, and
    • Margin and profitability considerations.
  • Partner closely with Finance and Asset Management to align reliability assumptions with financial planning and risk management strategies.

Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Serve as the central integrator across Engineering, Product Management, Quality, Asset Management, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.
  • Resolve competing priorities across performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
  • Ensure alignment between technical decisions and business objectives.

Reliability Programs & Systems
  • Oversee implementation of robust reliability processes, including:
    • Design for Reliability (DfR) and DFMEA,
    • Accelerated life testing (HALT, HASS, fatigue, environmental testing),
    • Reliability growth modeling and validation frameworks, and
    • Failure analysis and corrective action systems (e.g., FRACAS).
  • Drive continuous improvement through closed-loop learning from test and field data

Field Performance & Continuous Improvement
  • Lead global monitoring of field performance, failure trends, and product health.
  • Ensure rapid identification, escalation, and resolution of systemic issues.
  • Drive incorporation of field learnings into next-generation product designs.

Crisis Leadership & Field Failure Response
  • Serve as the leader during major product performance issues or field failures.
  • Lead cross-functional "war room" responses to diagnose issues, define mitigation strategies, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Balance urgency, transparency, and risk management to protect customers, financial outcomes, and brand reputation.

Organizational Leadership
  • Build, lead, and scale a high-performing global reliability organization
  • Establish clear goals, metrics, and accountability frameworks
  • Develop leadership capability and technical depth across the team

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
  • 15+ years of experience in reliability engineering, product engineering, or related disciplines.
  • Experience in industries with high reliability and long lifecycle requirements (e.g., energy, automotive, aerospace, but solar is preferred).
  • Proven track record of leading global, cross-functional technical organizations.
  • Demonstrated experience influencing product release decisions and managing risk at the executive level

Core Competencies
  • Decisiveness in Uncertainty: Ability to make sound, timely decisions with incomplete data and clearly communicate associated risks.
  • Risk Translation: Ability to translate complex technical risks into clear business, financial, and customer impacts.
  • Systems Thinking: Strong understanding of product lifecycle interactions and long-term performance implications.
  • Technical Depth & Business Acumen: Deep expertise in reliability engineering principles combined with strong financial and strategic awareness.
  • Executive Presence & Influence: Ability to effectively influence senior leadership and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders.

Nextpower offers a comprehensive benefits package. We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K) participation including company matching, company paid holidays with unlimited paid time off, generous discretionary company bonuses, life and disability protection and more. Employees in certain positions may be eligible for stock compensation. All plans are in accordance with relevant plan documents. For more information on Nextpower's benefits please view our company website at www.nextpower.com.
Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $260,000 to $285,000.
At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we're building the foundation for the world's next generation of clean energy infrastructure.
Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
We are Nextpower