Staff Quality Engineer

Responsibilities

Production Quality Support

• Serve as the primary Quality Engineering representative for assigned manufacturing areas.
• Partner with Production and Manufacturing Engineering to ensure manufacturing processes consistently produce conforming product.
• Provide daily support for production quality issues and remove quality-related barriers to manufacturing.
• Evaluate production trends and identify opportunities to improve quality, throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Participate in daily production meetings and escalation activities.

Nonconformance & MRB

• Review and disposition nonconforming material in accordance with company procedures and engineering requirements.
• Lead or support Material Review Board (MRB) activities.
• Coordinate with Design Engineering to develop repair, rework, or use-as-is dispositions when appropriate.
• Ensure timely closure of nonconformance reports while maintaining product integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Identify recurring nonconformances and implement corrective actions to eliminate repeat issues.

Root Cause & Corrective Action

• Lead structured root cause investigations using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, and Fault Tree Analysis methodologies.
• Develop, implement, and verify corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Monitor corrective action effectiveness using quality metrics and trend analysis.
• Facilitate cross-functional problem-solving teams to resolve complex manufacturing issues.

Process Improvement

• Develop and implement process controls that improve manufacturing capability and product quality.
• Support Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans, and risk assessments.
• Validate manufacturing process changes to ensure quality requirements continue to be met.
• Reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), scrap, rework, and repair through data-driven improvements.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives.

Production Readiness

• Review engineering changes and assess manufacturing quality impacts.
• Participate in design reviews to improve manufacturability and inspectability.
• Support introduction of new products into production.
• Develop inspection strategies and acceptance criteria for new assemblies and components.
• Support First Article Inspection (FAI) planning and execution in accordance with AS9102.

Quality Management System

• Ensure compliance with AS9100, customer requirements, and internal quality procedures.
• Develop and maintain quality documentation, including inspection plans, quality procedures, and work instructions.
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Develop quality metrics and dashboards to monitor manufacturing performance.
• Train manufacturing personnel on quality standards, workmanship requirements, and defect prevention.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in manufacturing quality engineering, aerospace manufacturing, or a related industry.
• Experience supporting production operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Experience with statistical analysis, data interpretation, and quality metrics.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple issues in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in aerospace, defense, or UAV manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 requirements.
• Experience with Material Review Board (MRB) processes and nonconformance management.
• Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans, Process Validation, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Knowledge of APQP, Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), and risk-based quality planning.