Principal Reliability Engineer

At Alcon, we are driven by the meaningful work we do to help people see brilliantly. We innovate boldly, champion progress, and act with speed as the global leader in eye care. Here, you’ll be recognized for your commitment and contributions and see your career like never before. Together, we go above and beyond to make an impact in the lives of our patients and customers.

We foster an inclusive culture and are looking for diverse, talented people to join Alcon and we are looking for a Principal Reliability Engineer at our R&D location in Lake Forest, CA.

In this role, a typical day will include:

• Implements/enhances state-of-the-art quality and reliability systems/programs to support R&D objectives relating to instruments and consumables (excluding software)

• Reviews/critiques product designs, proposed processes, and testing regimens with the objective of ensuring a rigorous focus on reliability, quality, and compliance throughout development process

• Contributes unique expertise in key aspects of product design, including improvements of product reliability using various engineering tools, compliance to environmental/transportation requirements, effective utilization of simulation/analysis methods, and preproduction engineering design principles

• Proven record of guiding/managing projects, teams, or departments to achieve timely goals while multi-tasking and meeting budget/resource constraints.

• Provides expert guidance on requirements development, test planning, test execution including fixturing and automation, issue management based on upon years of hands-on experience with a wide variety of products. 

• Develops/executes automated test scripts, Labview programs, robotic programs, HALT, ALT, environmental, transportation, life testing, PCBA stress screening, engineering tests and/or V&V to ensure timely and efficacious completion of R&D development projects within budgetary and resource constraints.

• Provides essential analytical skills in measurement methods, stress testing, derating, reliability assessment, simulation, and evaluating alternate components.

• Works effectively and efficiently with internal or external labs, technicians, senior management, and product design engineers to accomplish timely and valuable results at optimal cost.

• Ensures teams identify and execute key pre-verification characterization testing and review activities necessary for product improvement and robustness enhancement

• Works with project teams to ensure reliability, environmental, and transportation DHF deliverables, plans, verifications, and validations are compliant, documented, timely, and grounded in solid science.

Experience

• >8 yrs hands-on design and/or DfR experience on highly varied products, Laser/OCT/optics experience particularly valuable

• Ability to effectively communicate complex concepts in formal/informal presentations to teams or senior management

• Ability to prepare accurate highly detailed and readable technical reports.

• Ability to provide expert guidance based upon:

• Substantial (> 8 yrs.) hands-on experience in product development and design

• Hand-On Experience and conceptual understanding of reliability tools such as ALT, HALT, Environmental Tests, DFMEA, DfR, RBD, RCA, and FTA

• Ability to design supporting fixturing, reliability test methods, identify essential testing parameters/equipment, develop test plan and implement

• Practical knowledge in common failure mechanisms found on Opto-Electro-Mechanical systems

• Familiar with embedded systems, communication protocols for CAN bus and ethernet, and test programming

• Proven strong learning agility required

• Familiarity with applying basic statistical concepts and using statistical software packages in reliability analysis (e.g. Reliasoft, Minitab, Matlab, SPSS, R, etc.)

• Familiar with GMP/QSR aspects applicable to medical device development

• Ability to critique designs for reliability, serviceability, availability, and manufacturability concerns.

• Project leadership experience in transferring products from R&D into manufacturing, and leading/collaborating with multidisciplinary teams that include all functions in the manufacturing or technical services environment.

• Proven ability to influence effectively in a cross-functional environment (e.g. multi-site, technical development, other functions).

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Reliability or Optical engineering with >8 years of demonstrated success in opto-electro-mechanical systems with a reliability focus.  

Preferred

• Advanced EE, ME, RE, or OE engineering degree highly preferred

• >3 years in medical device product development role

• >3 years progressive work experience in reliability engineering of NPD

• >2 years’ experience in Electrical and software for embedded systems

• Experience with troubleshooting and root cause analysis of opto-electro-mechanical systems

• Experience with Laser, OCT, small Motors, Pumps, Optics, IR Laser or Sensors

What You'll Bring to Alcon:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent years of directly related experience (or high school +13 yrs; Assoc.+9 yrs; M.S.+2 yrs; PhD+0 yrs) 

• The ability to fluently read, write, understand, and communicate in English

• 5 Years of Relevant Experience

How You Can Thrive at Alcon:

• Join Alcon’s mission to provide outstanding, innovative products and solutions to improve sight, improve lives, and grow your career!

• Alcon provides robust benefits package including health, life, retirement, flexible time off, and much more!

• Travel Requirements: 0-5%

• Relocation assistance: Yes

• Sponsorship available: Yes

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Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. Alcon takes pride in maintaining a diverse environment and our policies are not to discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Alcon is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an email to alcon.recruitment@alcon.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.