Principal Reliability Engineer

MKS Instruments · Rochester, NY

Level: Senior
Team: Reliability
Base pay: $110k–$183k
Travel: 5%
Experience asked: 8+ years
Industry: Industrial
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior reliability role at MKS Instruments (industrial) in Rochester, NY. As part of the mission, the Principal Reliability Engineer will be responsible for supporting Power Solutions reliability and test programs including product development, design for reliability, design for manufacturability, as well as advanced reliability.

They ask for: 8+ years
Tools it names: Root cause, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation
Base pay: $110k–$183k
Day to day: some off-shift / weekend coverage · about 5% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Reliability Engineer roles in New York: typical posted base $106k–$146k. This one lists $110k–$183k.

Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 11 reliability engineer openings in New York, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

New York plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 10 other live reliability postings in New York.

Base pay: About 22% above similar roles
Experience asked: More than usual (8+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

EHS / safety 36%
✓ Root cause 36%
PLC 27%
Lean 27%
Six Sigma 27%
Team leadership 27%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 8+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Off-shift / weekend coverageLifts up to 50 lbs

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at MKS Instruments
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- The posting says about 5% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: MKS Instruments in Rochester

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Full description from MKS InstrumentsAs posted on their careers site.Show

A Day in Your Life at MKS

MKS is committed to being the highest quality and reliability provider of advanced RF and DC power generators enabling capabilities for advanced plasma processing used at Scientific & Industrial customers. As part of the mission, the Principal Reliability Engineer will be responsible for supporting Power Solutions reliability and test programs including product development, design for reliability, design for manufacturability, as well as advanced reliability testing. This position will include the improvement and/or development of new design processes which enhance reliability and will also interface internally with the design engineering/manufacturing groups and externally with the customer on key reliability programs and issues.

You Make an Impact By

•Develop and implement reliability plans including design, validation, qualification and assessment methods to support successful new Power Solutions product introductions
•Provide technical support throughout the product life cycle on-going sustaining activities
•Interface with design engineering and marketing organizations to establish internal reliability testing conditions representative of customer applications
•Perform various DfR techniques: lead the product qualification-testing, including functional testing, reliability and durability testing (HALT, HASS, ALT, etc.), in addition to ownership of reliability test equipment (reliability labs), reliability predictions (modeled and field - MTBF), reliability allocation, Design FME(C)A, Weibull Analysis, warranty collation and reporting to achieve company and customer reliability objectives
•Support and drive Power Solutions reliability improvement activities including best practice adoption, custom hardware development, and tool automation
•Perform root cause analysis for failures that occurred in reliability testing and/or in the field
•Participate in cross functional team efforts during product design reviews focused on reliability concerns, critical components, and potential wear out failure modes
•Generate reliability analysis reports for internal and external customers according to industry standards and best practices
•Collaborate with peer engineering experts in other MKS business units
•Identify improved instrumentation (e.g., data collection) supporting the reliability assessment of subassemblies and components, quantifying characteristics critical to overall system reliability

Show full description ↓

Skills You Bring

•B.S. (M.S. is a plus), Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Material sciences or related field
•ASQ CRE preferred
•8+ years reliability engineering experience in electronic systems and/or component failure analysis
•Experienced in thermal measurement and device characterization techniques
•Can interpret results from failure analysis tools including: X-ray, Acoustic Microscopy, Material Cross Sectional analysis, SEM/EDX, Emission Microscopy, etc.
•Understands PCBA and electronic component failure mechanisms and physics of failure
•Experienced in Design for Reliability techniques, approaches and methods
•Experienced in applying reliability modeling techniques and tools to identify potential wear out modes (e.g., Telcordia Prediction, Weibull)
•Experienced in HALT testing approaches, HASS profile design and ALT test methods
•Experienced in data collection techniques and statistical analysis; experience in applied machine learning is a plus
•Excellent communication skills. Can communicate work plans, schedules, resource needs as well present analysis and results, and drive key decisions to cross functional audiences
•Potential travel time (5%)

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

•Perform activities such as sitting, standing, or typing for extended periods of time
•Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
•Regularly requires good manual dexterity and coordination
•Occasionally moves/positions objects up to 50 lbs.
•Frequently positions self to perform tasks and positions objects below, at, and above shoulder level
•Regularly requires manual dexterity and coordination of objects below, at and above shoulder level
•Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand
•Must be able to exchange accurate information
•Operates in a professional office, laboratory and manufacturing environment
•Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery
•Ability to observe documents and details at close range (within a few feet of the observer)
•Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards including handling mechanical and electrical hardware, high voltage, gas, water, and heat
•Noise level in the work environment is usually average