Senior Product Assurance Engineer

SES•Sterling, VA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Product Assurance Engineer, Spacecraft Programmes, provides resident product assurance engineering support throughout all phases of satellite procurement programs. This includes participating in design, test, and failure reviews and overseeing spacecraft design, assembly, integration, and launch campaign activities. The role is part of the SES Resident Field Office Team, located at spacecraft manufacturer premises, and provides day-to-day support to satellite programs to ensure quality standards are met. The position also supports the Field Office Program Manager with investigations, resolutions, and corrective actions. The engineer works with manufacturers, subcontractors, and program teams to ensure contract and quality requirements are implemented, identify shortfalls, investigate anomalies, and track corrective actions through closure. The role includes reviewing design, manufacturing, and test documentation; conducting inspections; participating in program reviews; providing status reports; and supporting testing, launch preparation, and critical early-orbit operations. The position requires at least 80% onsite work, preferably 100%, and approximately 30% domestic and international travel for supplier visits.

Requirements

Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
At least 5 years of experience in product assurance satellite engineering, mission assurance, and/or satellite manufacturing.
Thorough understanding of satellite manufacturing, including quality control and product assurance, processes and procedures, spacecraft handling, inspection, integration, and test.
Ability to work on day-to-day issues with the manufacturer and program team.
Experience working with a spacecraft supplier and in an AIT environment.
Good knowledge of space product and quality assurance processes.
High-level knowledge of satellite subsystems and ability to challenge industry experts in their field.
Self-starter with a high level of personal accountability.
Ability to prioritize and work as a team player.
Demonstrated influencing and negotiation skills.
Willingness to be self-critical, continuously improve skills, learn from mistakes, act within their circle of competence, and recognize their boundaries.
Agile and flexible, with the ability to work across a geographically distributed team.
Excellent communication skills, including persuasive and diplomatic communication to inspire collaboration and drive collective goal achievement.
Highly organized, with the ability to track multiple streams of critical activities at once.
Project and execution orientation, including ability to drive initiatives and manage schedule and criticality.
Eligibility to obtain security clearance.
Ability to work independently with limited supervision in complex environments, including multi-stakeholder projects.
Flexibility and adaptability in response to evolving project requirements and dynamic environments.
Ability to think strategically and align project goals with organizational objectives.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Willingness to work at least 80% onsite from the office, preferably 100%.
Willingness to travel for supplier visits, approximately 30% domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day product assurance engineering support to the satellite program.
Ensure satellites meet required quality standards at all levels.
Ensure contract requirements are flowed down to subcontractors and subsystem and system requirements.
Support component and system design reviews, test activities, data reviews, anomaly investigations, and resolutions.
Provide rigorous oversight and enforcement of contract requirements, and identify shortfalls and corrective actions.
Perform Mandatory Inspection Points as necessary for the program.
Provide the functional manager with summaries of daily activities and technical status, including recommended actions.
Support tracking, resolution, and closure of unit- and system-level problem reports.
Support single line flow.
Participate in design, test readiness, material, and failure review meetings at manufacturer, subcontractor, and prime-contractor facilities as needed.
Examine anomaly investigation results and root-cause analyses, and verify corrective actions are implemented.
Monitor daily activities at spacecraft manufacturer facilities.
Oversee activities at manufacturer and subcontractor facilities as needed.
Perform inspections and reviews as needed.
Review design, manufacturing, and test documentation.
Ensure program action items are adequately addressed and closed.
Provide summary reports of issues and recommended actions.
Provide 24/7 on-call support during spacecraft testing and single line flow.
Support launch-site activities in preparation for launch.
Support the operational team during LEOP critical activities or in case of anomaly.