Senior Vibration Analyst

Job description

from BAE Systems careers

Job Description

What’s it like working for a company that delivers life-saving products and services to our nation’s military? Humbling. As part of our Ordnance Systems team in Radford, VA, you will work alongside some of the industry's top talent at the forefront of energetics technology.

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Vibration Analyst to join our predictive maintenance (PdM) and machinery reliability program at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in southwestern Virginia. In this role, you will be responsible for advanced vibration data collection, complex diagnostics, and failure analysis for a wide range of critical rotating equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, blowers, compressors, and gearboxes). As a senior member of the team, you will not only diagnose complex machinery faults but also drive proactive solutions to eliminate recurring issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced Diagnostics: Program, collect, and analyze complex vibration data—including transient analysis, orbit plots, and modal testing—to diagnose health anomalies in critical rotating machinery.
• Driving Reliability: Lead formal and informal Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) investigations for rotating equipment failures and implement effective corrective actions.
• Program Management: Manage and optimize the site’s vibration database, alarm limits, and collection schedules utilizing advanced PdM software.
• Integrated Inspection: Correlate vibration data with oil analysis, thermography, and ultrasound data to provide holistic machinery health assessments.
• Technical Guidance: Provide expert technical guidance to area personnel and craft teams as needed.
• Safety: Maintain safety as the utmost priority, ensuring strict adherence to all site safety protocols.
• Collaboration: Assist other areas of the Mechanical Integrity program as needed.
• End-to-End Ownership: Demonstrate a proactive, collaborative mindset by owning recommendations from initial diagnosis through execution; partner with maintenance, engineering, and operations teams to troubleshoot and ensure corrective actions are driven to completion.
• Cross-Discipline Partnership: Partner with asset integrity and reliability peers during major outages or high-volume campaigns; demonstrate the flexibility to lead technical initiatives or support peer-led projects depending on the scope of work.
• Physical Requirements: This role requires regular presence in a manufacturing or fabrication environment. The incumbent must be able to access and safely navigate production areas which may include climbing, kneeling, stooping, and working in confined spaces. Must also be able to comply with all requirements including the use of required personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with company policy.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• Typically requires a High School Diploma/GED and 8+ years experience, including 5+ years of dedicated experience in industrial machinery vibration analysis, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of rolling element bearings, journal bearings, rotor dynamics, and structural resonance issues. Proficiency with modern data collectors and diagnostic software.
• Communication: Exceptional technical writing skills for generating clear diagnostic reports and actionable maintenance recommendations for leadership. Able to work alongside multidisciplinary teams in order to drive recommendations to completion.
• Self-driven with the ability to work with maintenance and operations

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Engineering.
• ISO Category III Vibration Analyst certification is highly preferred (ISO Category II with extensive experience and immediate path to Cat III will be considered).
• Machinery Lubrication Analyst (MLA) certification is a plus.
• Experience with other predictive maintenance methods (thermography, laser alignment, tribology, etc.)
• Familiarity working within a chemical facility.
• Knowledge of a computer maintenance management system (CMMS). #LI-Onsite #LI-JR1

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $88189 - $149922

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.


About BAE Systems Platforms & Services
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

The Platforms & Services (P&S) sector under BAE Systems, Inc does the big stuff: the armored combat vehicles, naval guns, missile launchers, and ship repair…just to name a few. Our employees take pride in the work they do and why they do it. They are on the front lines every day, building our products to protect the lives of those who serve. We may be biased, but we think P&S does some of the coolest work around, and we think you will too.