Reliability, Systems, and Safety Engineering Manager at MKB – Independence, Ohio

MKB Company is a fast-growing industrial manufacturer with a commitment to innovation, customer service, and operational excellence. We serve customers across the U.S. through a strong distribution network and technically supported sales team.

The Reliability, Systems, and Safety Engineering Manager is responsible for ensuring that the Company’s machinery, facilities, and industrial systems operate safely, reliably, and efficiently across all locations. This role provides technical leadership in reliability engineering and systems performance while serving as the company-wide owner of the safety program, partnering closely with Plant Managers, the Safety Manager, and external safety partners.

In addition to hands-on engineering and systems analysis, this role leads and develops a small team, including the Facilities & Safety Manager and Fab Shop Manager, and plays a key role in driving consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement across maintenance, reliability, and safety programs.

This can be a REMOTE position or based at one of our facilities. It will require approximately 60-70% travel.

Safety Leadership & Program Ownership

• Serve as the company-wide owner of the safety program, setting strategy, standards, and expectations across all facilities.
• Lead and manage the Safety Partnership with Lancaster Safety, including planning, audits, training initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Ensure safety programs and protocols align with OSHA, ANSI, and other applicable regulatory and industry standards.
• Partner with Plant Managers and the Safety Manager to drive consistent safety practices, hazard mitigation, and corrective actions across all locations.
• Support incident investigations, root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Promote a strong safety culture by embedding safety considerations into system design, maintenance strategies, and daily operations.

Responsibilities include, but not limited to:

Reliability & Systems Engineering

• Conduct reliability analysis on industrial machinery, facilities, and automated controls across all sites.
• Develop and implement predictive and preventive maintenance strategies using sensor data, CMMS, and IoT platforms.
• Perform FMEA for mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and electronic components.
• Define system requirements for integrated industrial equipment and production systems.
• Validate and verify equipment performance against manufacturer specifications and operational standards.
• Derive, develop, and manage the Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) program across the full lifecycle.
• Apply Reliability & Maintainability (R&M) engineering principles within a systems engineering framework.
• Perform MTBF, MTBCF, MTTR, and Operational Availability analyses to improve uptime and asset performance.
• Proactively identify potential failures, assess risk and impact, and implement cost-effective solutions to reduce downtime, improve safety, and enhance operational efficiency

People Leadership & Management

• Provide direct leadership and oversight for:
  1. Facilities & Safety Manager (Belleville)
  2. Fab Shop Manager (Minnesota)
     1. Establish clear goals, expectations, and accountability for team members aligned with company priorities.
     2. Coach, develop, and support managers to strengthen leadership capability, technical expertise, and cross-site collaboration.
     3. Foster strong partnerships with Plant Managers, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Safety teams.
     4. Support workforce development through training, mentoring, and knowledge sharing related to reliability, systems, and safety.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, and Leadership to support capital projects, equipment upgrades, and facility improvements.
• Provide technical and safety input on new equipment, automation, and process changes.
• Support standardization of systems, processes, and best practices across multiple locations.
• Other duties may be assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Agricultural, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• 3–5 years of experience in reliability, systems, or safety engineering within industrial or agricultural environments.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading safety programs in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
• CMRP certification and proficiency with CMMS software.
• Familiarity with industrial machinery, automation, and IoT-based monitoring systems.
• Knowledge of OSHA, ANSI, ISO 13849, and other applicable safety standards.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with reliability tools (e.g., ReliaSoft, MATLAB).
• Ability to travel 60–70% within the region.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Agricultural, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering.
• Certification in Reliability Engineering (CRE) or Functional Safety (CFSP).
• Prior people-management or team-lead experience.
• Experience partnering with third-party safety consultants or safety service providers.
• Background in multi-site manufacturing or industrial operations.

Core Competencies

• Technical & Systems Thinking
• Safety Leadership & Risk Management
• People Leadership & Development
• Analytical Problem Solving
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Accountability & Operational Discipline