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Reliability Engineering Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Site Reliability Engineering Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

Are you excited to lead Site Reliability Engineering teams that keep mission-critical, 24/7 services running reliably and securely? Do you enjoy building automated cloud platforms, hardening security ...

Are you excited to lead Site Reliability Engineering teams that keep mission-critical, 24/7 services running reliably and securely? Do you enjoy building automated cloud platforms, hardening security ...

Reliability Engineer

Morris, IL · On-site

$99K - $125K/yr

Work closely with maintenance, operations, and engineering teams to improve equipment performance. Cost Optimization * Identify opportunities to improve reliability while reducing lifecycle ...

In addition to release engineering responsibilities, this role requires a hands-on technical ... Site Reliability & Production Operations * Provide hands-on production support, ensuring ...

Reliability Engineer

Mapleton, IL

$95K - $119K/yr

Contribute to preventive maintenance and reliability engineering efforts by ensuring accurate information is available for planning and execution. Essential Skills * Technical experience in ...

Reliability Engineer

Mapleton, IL

$95K - $119K/yr

Contribute to preventive maintenance and reliability engineering efforts by ensuring accurate information is available for planning and execution. Essential Skills * Technical experience in ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL

$58.75 - $78/hr

You'll also help define how WEX applies AI to reliability engineering, building agents and reusable skills that automate high-TOIL work, integrating safely into our AI ecosystem, and establishing ...

Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$105K - $132K/yr

In coordination and full collaboration with the Engineering Services Reliability & Asset Management COE, the Reliability Engineer is responsible for implementing a strategic asset management plan to ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL

$58.75 - $78/hr

You'll also help define how WEX applies AI to reliability engineering, building agents and reusable skills that automate high-TOIL work, integrating safely into our AI ecosystem, and establishing ...

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Showing results 1-20

Reliability Engineering information

See Illinois salary details

$59.1K

$114.3K

$136.6K

How much do reliability engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for reliability engineering in Illinois is $114,319.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $99,300.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is reliability engineering?

Reliability engineering is a field of engineering that focuses on ensuring systems, components, or products consistently perform their intended function without failure over a specified period. Reliability engineers analyze data, design tests, and implement processes to improve product durability and reduce the likelihood of failures. Their work often spans across product design, manufacturing, and maintenance to enhance safety, performance, and customer satisfaction.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a reliability engineer?

To thrive as a Reliability Engineer, you need a solid background in engineering principles, data analysis, and problem-solving, often supported by a degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with reliability analysis tools (such as Weibull Analysis, FMEA), statistical software, and certifications like Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) are typically required. Strong communication, attention to detail, and collaborative skills help Reliability Engineers effectively work with cross-functional teams and convey technical findings. These skills and qualifications are crucial for minimizing system failures, optimizing maintenance strategies, and ensuring long-term operational efficiency.

How does a reliability engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve system reliability?

Reliability Engineers work closely with design, maintenance, operations, and quality teams to identify potential failure points and implement preventive measures. They often facilitate root-cause analyses after incidents, share findings with relevant departments, and help develop long-term solutions to recurring problems. Collaboration involves regular meetings, data sharing, and coordinating reliability improvement projects to ensure that all teams are aligned in enhancing system performance and reducing downtime.

What is the difference between Reliability Engineering vs Maintenance Engineering?

AspectReliability EngineeringMaintenance Engineering
FocusDesigning systems for reliability and minimizing failuresMaintaining and repairing existing equipment to ensure operational uptime
CertificationsReliability Engineering certifications, Six Sigma, engineering degreesMaintenance certifications, HVAC, electrical, or mechanical licenses
Work EnvironmentDesign offices, project planning, analysis labsOn-site equipment, repair shops, plant floors
Industry UsageManufacturing, aerospace, energy, oil & gasManufacturing, facilities management, utilities

Reliability Engineering focuses on designing and improving systems to prevent failures, while Maintenance Engineering emphasizes repairing and maintaining equipment to ensure continuous operation. Both roles are essential in industries like manufacturing and energy, but they differ in their approach—one is proactive, the other reactive.

How much do reliability engineers get paid?

Reliability engineers typically earn a median annual salary between $80,000 and $110,000, depending on experience, industry, and location. Advanced skills in data analysis, failure mode effects analysis (FMEA), and certifications like Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) can lead to higher compensation.

Is reliability engineering in demand?

Reliability engineering is in high demand across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and energy, as companies seek to improve system uptime and reduce maintenance costs. Professionals in this field often need skills in data analysis, failure modes, and reliability tools like FMEA and RCM, with certifications such as Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) enhancing job prospects.

What does a reliability engineer do?

A reliability engineer is responsible for ensuring that systems, equipment, or products perform consistently and without failure over time. They analyze failure data, develop maintenance strategies, and implement improvements using tools like FMEA and root cause analysis to enhance reliability and reduce downtime.

What jobs can reliability engineers go into?

Reliability engineers can pursue roles such as maintenance engineer, systems engineer, quality engineer, or failure analysis engineer. They often work in industries like manufacturing, aerospace, energy, and automotive, utilizing skills in data analysis, troubleshooting, and reliability testing. Certifications like Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) can enhance job prospects in these fields.
Infographic showing various Reliability Engineering job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $114,319 per year, or $55 per hour.

Director, Site Reliability Engineering

Deerfield, IL • On-site


Walgreens
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing • 51 - 200 employees

5.5

Company rating: 5.5 out of 10

Based on 2,219 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

98th of 113 rated pharmacies

Recommended by students

Respectful managers

Uninterrupted breaks


$58 - $77/hr

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago


Job description


Job Summary:
The Director, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is a senior technical and people leader responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, scalability, and performance of critical enterprise platforms and services. This role leads the SRE organization, setting the strategy and operating model for reliability engineering practices across cloud and on-premise environments.
This leader partners closely with Engineering, Infrastructure, Architecture, Security, and Product teams to reduce operational risk, improve system resilience, and enable teams to deliver high-quality services at scale. The Director drives adoption of SRE principles including service level objectives (SLOs), error budgets, observability, automation, and incident management excellence, while building a strong culture of ownership, learning, and continuous improvement.
Outcomes directed have a moderate to significant impact on the organization's short- and long-term results, customer experience, and operational stability. Decisions have moderate to significant impact across technology platforms and services.
Job Responsibilities:
  • Leads and develops a team of Site Reliability Engineers, including managers and senior technical leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, learning, and operational excellence.
  • Defines and executes the enterprise SRE strategy, aligning reliability goals with business priorities and technology roadmaps.
  • Establishes clear ownership models, engagement patterns, and operating rhythms between SRE, Engineering, and Infrastructure teams.
  • Builds organizational capability through hiring, coaching, succession planning, and skills development.
  • Oversees the reliability, availability, and performance of mission critical platforms and services across cloud and hybrid environments.
  • Drives the definition, adoption, and monitoring of service level indicators (SLIs), service level objectives (SLOs), and error budgets.
  • Leads efforts to improve incident response, root cause analysis, and post incident learning to reduce repeat issues and operational toil.
  • Ensures effective on call models, escalation paths, and operational readiness practices are in place.
  • Champions automation to reduce manual work, improve recovery times, and increase system scalability and resilience.
  • Oversees observability capabilities, including monitoring, logging, tracing, alerting, and dashboards, to proactively detect and resolve issues.
  • Partners with Engineering and Architecture to influence system design for reliability, scalability, and fault tolerance.
  • Drives continuous improvement in deployment safety, capacity planning, and change management practices.
  • Collaborates with Product, Engineering, Infrastructure, Security, and Vendor partners to balance innovation velocity with operational stability.
  • Provides executive level visibility into reliability posture, risks, trends, and improvement initiatives.
  • Influences standards, policies, and best practices related to reliability, availability, and operational excellence.

About Walgreens:
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) has a storied heritage of caring for communities for generations and proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and leading omni channel platforms. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for retail pharmacy and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
External Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field OR equivalent work experience.
  • 10+ years of experience in software engineering, infrastructure, SRE, or operations roles with increasing scope and complexity.
  • 5+ years of people leadership experience, including leading managers or senior technical leaders.
  • Demonstrated experience operating and scaling highly available, distributed systems in cloud or hybrid environments.
  • Strong background in incident management, reliability engineering practices, and production operations.
  • At least 5 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
  • At least 5 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross functional team leadership.
  • Willing to travel up to/at least 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
  • Experience implementing SRE practices at enterprise scale.
  • Deep knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., Azure), containerization, CI/CD, and infrastructure automation.
  • Experience with modern observability platforms and automation frameworks.
  • Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive cultural change toward reliability and operational ownership.
We will consider employment of qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
The Salary below is being provided to promote pay transparency and equal employment opportunities at Walgreens. The actual hourly salary within this range that you will be offered will depend on a variety of factors including geography, skills and abilities, education, experience and other relevant factors. This role will remain open until filled. To review benefits, please click here jobs.walgreens.com/benefits. If you are applying on a job board or unable to click on the link, please copy and paste this URL into your browser jobs.walgreens.com/benefits


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