Senior Failure Analysis & Sustainment Engineer

About Forterra At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance. Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments. Forterra is seeking a Senior Failure Analysis & Sustainment Engineer to serve as a central technical leader for the lifecycle support of our fielded products. In this role, you will oversee configuration management, sustainment planning, and obsolescence mitigation while working cross-functionally with engineering, supply chain, program teams, and field service. You’ll act as the go-to technical liaison for customers, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure product readiness through hands-on problem-solving and operational support. This is a dynamic, fast-paced role based on-site at our Clarksburg, MD facility—ideal for a detail-oriented technical professional with at least 5 years of relevant experience and a strong background in engineering or related fields. What You'll Do The Senior Failure Analysis & Sustainment Engineer serves as the central technical point of contact for the comprehensive lifecycle support of fielded products. This role ensures sustained operational readiness, drives continuous improvement, and bridges cross-functional teams—including engineering, supply chain, program management, and field service—to deliver seamless product support for both customers and internal stakeholders. Own and build failure analysis processes   Establish, implement, and continuously improve processes for identifying, documenting, and quantifying failure modes   Lead and manage FRACAS data workflows and ensure high-quality reliability data capture   Translate failure data into actionable product and process improvements that enhance system uptime   Lead investigations and root cause analysis (RCA)   Drive discrepancy report investigations from intake through resolution   Perform hands-on forensic analysis of failed components and systems   Determine root cause using structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone, fault tree)   Serve as technical authority for product failures   Act as SME supporting refurbishment and inspection technicians   Provide engineering guidance for troubleshooting, repair decisions, and escalation   Interface with design, manufacturing, and reliability teams to close the loop on issues impacting mission-critical systems   Cross-functional collaboration   Work closely with product design, manufacturing, sustainment logistics, program teams, customer success, and reliability engineering   Communicate findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders   Drive reliability and sustainment initiatives   Identify trends and systemic issues across fielded systems   Lead initiatives to improve product durability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance for mission-critical applications   Support engineering changes and obsolescence management   Source, test, qualify, and implement replacement parts   Contribute to design updates driven by reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) objectives   Enable predictive maintenance capabilities   Analyze correlations between hardware failures and internal system data   Develop frameworks for predictive failure modeling and condition-based maintenance to improve uptime   Startup EnvironmentHighly self-directed, ownership-driven mindset   Comfortable working hands-on with hardware and data   Strong analytical and investigative instincts   Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment   Clear communicator who can bridge engineering and operations Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (advanced degree a plus)   5+ years of experience in mechanical systems engineering, failure analysis, or reliability engineering   Hands-on experience troubleshooting mechanical and electromechanical systems   Strong root cause analysis skills and familiarity with structured problem-solving methods   Experience working cross-functionally in product development or operations environments   Preferred Qualifications Experience with FRACAS systems and reliability data analysis   Background in forensic engineering or failure investigation   Familiarity with autonomous systems, robotics, or complex electromechanical products   Experience with test design, validation, and qualification processes   Working knowledge of electrical systems and diagnostics   US Salary Range $140,000 - $185,000 Location Clarksburg, MD - On-Site CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: https://www.state.gov/security-clearances#:~:text=Security%20clearances%20only%20apply%20to,behalf%20of%20the%20federal%20government..    Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. To see Forterra’s candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://www.forterra.com/legal/job-applicant-privacy-notice. Locations: Clarksburg, MD