Senior Customer Quality Engineer

Ralliant•Hollister, CA

13h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Customer Quality Engineer (CQE) will serve as a key quality leader, leveraging extensive experience to drive strategic quality initiatives, ensure compliance with complex contractual requirements, and enhance customer satisfaction. This role demands a proactive professional who can lead cross-functional teams, mentor junior engineers, and influence quality processes at a program level.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of experience in quality engineering, service operations, or related leadership roles.
Proven track record in managing KPIs, driving cost optimization, and leading cross-functional teams.
U.S. Citizenship required per ITAR regulations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ordnance, energetic materials, powders/propellants.
ASQ Certification (CQE, CQA) or equivalent.
Expertise in APQP, PPAP, and advanced quality planning methodologies.
Strong negotiation, strategic planning, and customer engagement skills.

Responsibilities

Strategic Quality Leadership: Lead comprehensive proposal and sales order reviews, ensuring alignment with customer and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Program Managers and Contract Administrators to interpret and clarify RFP/RFQ quality requirements.
Advanced Compliance & Planning: Oversee contract reviews, including SDRLs, flowdowns, and compliance matrices.
Develop and approve Inspection Plans, Reports (IP&R), and First Article Inspection (FAI) strategies for complex programs.
Customer Engagement & Delivery: Act as the primary quality liaison for customers, presenting data packages and FAI documentation.
Drive resolution of customer-related nonconformances through root cause analysis and corrective action leadership.
Audit & Governance: Lead internal, customer, and third-party audits; ensure adherence to ITAR, DFARS, and federal compliance standards.
Continuous Improvement: Document lessons learned and implement process improvements across programs.
Generate and analyze quality metrics (FPY, NCRs, CARs) to inform strategic decisions.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Chair Material Review Board (MRB) and participate in Failure Review Boards.
Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering to integrate robust control plans into production documentation.
Supplier Quality Support: Partner with Supplier Development Engineering to resolve vendor hardware discrepancies and improve supplier performance.