Quality Engineer

Icarus•El Segundo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Icarus is hiring Quality Engineers at Levels I, II, and III to support the quality of solar-powered aircraft built to operate in the stratosphere. The level will be determined during the interview process based on technical skills, relevant experience, and demonstrated ownership. This role owns build quality from incoming parts through aircraft assembly, working hands-on with manufacturing, engineering, test, and supply chain. The Quality Engineer develops inspection criteria, manages nonconforming material and corrective actions, collaborates with suppliers, and uses build and test findings to improve work instructions, production checks, and designs. The role also maintains inspection, traceability, and configuration records using ION and supporting tools; analyzes defect, rework, and yield data; and supports measurement-tool calibration, production readiness reviews, and flight-hardware acceptance as production grows. The position is on-site at Icarus in El Segundo and requires ownership as designs and production processes evolve. Icarus describes its culture as a high-trust, high-ownership team focused on engineering, flight, and execution, with employees working closely with the CEO and a small team. The company emphasizes hands-on work with real hardware, rapid testing and iteration, and an ability to work under pressure and troubleshoot in the field.

Requirements

A degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, manufacturing, or a related engineering field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
Experience building, inspecting, testing, or improving real hardware; internships and substantial project work count for Level I.
Ability to read engineering drawings and specifications and use appropriate measurement and inspection tools.
Strong problem-solving skills, including distinguishing symptoms from root causes, documenting evidence, and following corrective actions through to completion.
Clear communication with technicians, engineers, and suppliers.
Willingness to spend time on the factory floor.
Ability to work on-site at Icarus in El Segundo and take ownership of quality as designs and production processes evolve.

Nice To Haves

Experience with aerospace or other complex electromechanical products, composites, or supplier quality.
Familiarity with first-article inspection, manufacturing quality systems, or statistical process analysis.
Experience using ION, an ERP/MES, or Python/SQL to improve traceability and quality reporting.

Responsibilities

Own build quality from incoming parts through aircraft assembly, collaborating with manufacturing, engineering, test, and supply chain.
Create practical inspection criteria for purchased parts, composite structures, avionics, wiring, and mechanical assemblies.
Establish first-article checks for new suppliers and design changes.
Contain and document nonconforming material, coordinate engineering disposition, and verify corrective actions.
Work with suppliers to resolve recurring defects and improve the consistency of incoming parts.
Use build and test findings to improve work instructions, in-process checks, and design feedback.
Maintain inspection records, material traceability, and configuration records for aircraft being built, using ION and supporting tools.
Use defect, rework, and yield data to identify improvements and verify that fixes work.
Support calibrated measurement tools, production readiness reviews, and flight-hardware acceptance as the build rate grows.