Sr Reliability Engineer (Urbandale, Iowa, US)

The Senior Reliability Engineer serves as the technical anchor for reliability and automation across core automation operations and partner sites. This role is responsible for improving system stability, reducing recurring issues, and strengthening scalable reliability practices that support sustained operations. 

Operating at the center of cross-site support, this role leads problem solving, reinforces engineering standards, and drives improvements that reduce reactive work and dependency on tribal knowledge. The position partners closely with Reliability Leads and cross-functional teams to advance a more connected and effective reliability, support, and maintenance network. 

YOUR TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

The primary responsibilities of this role are: 

• Reliability Leadership & System Performance:  

• • Lead reliability efforts across sites with a focus on uptime, system stability, and issue reduction.  

• • Serve as the primary escalation point for complex or recurring automation and system issues. 

• • Drive structured root cause analysis (RCA) and ensure corrective actions are effective and sustained. 

• • Improve visibility into system health through diagnostics, metrics, and performance tracking. 

• • Support seasonal readiness by ensuring systems are technically prepared for sustained operations. 

• Cross-Site Support & Team Leadership: 

• • Act as a central technical resource across core automation operations and partner sites. 

• • Provide day-to-day technical direction and prioritization support within the assigned site team. 

• • Partner with Reliability Leads, Global Support, Maintenance, and Operations to improve system support models and resolution effectiveness. 

• • Strengthen partner-site capability through structured support, documentation, and knowledge transfer. 

• • Build strong, effective working relationships across teams, functions, and locations. 

• Automation & Technical Expertise: 

• • Troubleshoot and improve automated systems including PLCs, HMIs, sensors, and controls infrastructure. 

• • Drive solutions that eliminate repeat failures and simplify long-term system support. 

• • Contribute to building internal automation capability and reducing reliance on external programming support. 

• • Provide technical leadership and oversight for system changes, upgrades, and integration efforts. 

• Change Control, Standards & Documentation: 

• • Ensure all system changes follow disciplined change control, documentation, and versioning practices. 

• • Establish and reinforce standards for automation logic, configuration, and system documentation. 

• • Convert tribal knowledge into structured, accessible documentation (runbooks, troubleshooting guides, system diagrams). 

• • Ensure changes are auditable, sustainable, and aligned with quality and operational expectations. 

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: 

• • Identify and drive improvements in system design, observability, and support models. 

• • Promote standardization, reusable solutions, and consistent troubleshooting approaches. 

• • Evaluate and apply new technologies or methods that improve reliability and maintainability. 

• • Contribute to broader reliability and support improvements by partnering with site and functional leadership. 

• Mentorship & Capability Building: 

• • Provide technical guidance and mentorship across engineers, technicians, and support teams. 

• • Raise overall team capability in troubleshooting, automation, and reliability practices. 

• • Promote consistency in problem-solving approaches and engineering discipline across sites. 

WHO YOU ARE 

Bayer seeks an incumbent who possesses the following: 

Required: 

• BS & 6+ years relevant work experience OR MS & 4+ years OR PhD & 2+ years 

• Degree in engineering or science such as Electrical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Agricultural, Computer, Computer Science, Electromechanics, Mechatronics, Industrial, Information Systems, or related field with strong interest in automation 

• Significant and extensive experience in one or more of: automation design, machine design, test engineering, agricultural engineering, automation support, project engineering, or equivalent experience 

• Expert knowledge of safety systems, design documentation standards, automation validation, quality assurance, and automated system integration. 

• Expert knowledge of relevant software and hardware tools. 

• Excellent knowledge of and demonstrated application of relevant national and international standards in area of expertise 

• Excellent knowledge of and experience demonstrating project control skills including project planning, scheduling, cost control, and requirements development 

• Demonstrated experience in providing field support and/or participating in check out, commissioning, and start-up of automated systems 

• Systematic approach to problem definition and solution development 

• Ability to excel as a member of cross-functional teams and to participate in multiple projects simultaneously 

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills to deal with people at different levels of management, engineering, suppliers, and internal customers 

• Excellent verbal and written skills in order to communicate with and obtain cooperation from team members.  

• Demonstrated ability to write comprehensive technical documents required for project execution 

• Business-proficiency of oral and written English language 

• Willingness and availability to travel depending on project or business needs 

• Expert understanding of Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) requirements and responsibilities 

Preferred: 

• Strong understanding of engineering standards, safety systems, and controlled change processes. 

• Experience with industrial networking, SCADA, and system integration. 

• Familiarity with reliability practices, system health monitoring, or observability concepts. 

• Experience mentoring or guiding technical teams in a lead capacity. 

• Exposure to continuous improvement, predictive maintenance, or data-driven reliability methods. 

Employees can expect to be paid a salary of approximately $73k-109k. Additional compensation may include a bonus or incentive program (if relevant).  Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, sick leave, etc..  This salary (or salary range) is merely an estimate and may vary based on an applicant’s location, market data/ranges, an applicant’s skills and prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications, and other relevant factors. 

This posting will be available for application until at least 6/18/26.