Senior Product Quality Engineer (PDS / Thruster / PPU / Program)
About The Position
The Senior Product Quality Engineer ensures quality performance across IRAD and production activities for assigned product hardware, including Propellant Distribution Systems (PDS), thrusters, Power Processing Units (PPUs), or program quality support. The role serves as the quality subject matter expert for its assigned product line or program area and supports both program execution and internal quality initiatives. It partners with program Quality Engineers, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations to manage nonconformances, corrective actions, production support, and continuous improvement. The position is based in Littleton, Colorado. The role ensures compliance with AS9100 requirements, internal procedures, customer requirements, and contractual obligations. It manages nonconformance and corrective-action records through closure, supports production documentation reviews and quality signoffs, and contributes to root-cause investigations, risk identification, training, and quality improvements. The engineer may provide backup coverage for the Quality Engineering team and perform additional duties as assigned. The work takes place across office, laboratory, warehouse, manufacturing, and test environments, with frequent production-floor presence as needed. Candidates must be able to comply with U.S. export-control and ITAR requirements.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related discipline.
- At least 5 years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, engineering, or aerospace quality systems.
- Experience managing nonconformances and corrective-action processes in a regulated or manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated ability to lead or support root-cause investigations and implement corrective actions.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams in a production and/or engineering environment.
- Strong understanding of quality management system principles, such as AS9100 or equivalent.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Must be able to comply with federally mandated U.S. export-control and ITAR requirements, requiring proof of U.S. person status.
Nice To Haves
- For PDS quality support: understanding of fluidic engineering principles.
- For thruster quality support: understanding of electric propulsion systems.
- For PPU quality support: understanding of electrical engineering principles.
- For program quality support: understanding of satellite systems and program execution.
- Prior experience supporting aerospace or highly regulated manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated ability to act as a product-line subject matter expert or technical quality lead.
- Experience supporting production hardware, line replaceable units (LRUs), program quality requirements, or system-level quality activities.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the quality subject matter expert for an assigned product group or program area across IRAD and production efforts.
- Ensure quality performance and product compliance for assigned hardware, including PDS, thrusters, PPUs, or program-related products.
- Partner with contract and program Quality Engineers on program-specific nonconformances, quality requirements, and customer needs.
- Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program teams on quality expectations, product requirements, and issue resolution.
- Ensure compliance with AS9100 requirements, internal procedures, customer requirements, and contractual obligations.
- Support the Quality Engineering team and provide backup coverage when needed.
- Manage Nonconformance Reports (NCs), create them when required, collaborate on dispositions and investigations, maintain documentation and status through closure, and communicate status and concerns.
- Monitor nonconformance activity for trends, recurring issues, and improvement opportunities.
- Lead or support root-cause investigations and create and manage corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) for nonconformances, audit findings, escapes, process failures, and recurring trends.
- Maintain CAPA documentation through closure, verify corrective-action implementation, and support effectiveness reviews.
- Support production activities and address quality issues arising during production, assembly, integration, testing, or inspection.
- Review travelers, build records, and quality documentation, and provide quality signoffs as required.
- Provide Engineering Sign Off (ESO) approval support and support quality risk identification and escalation.
- Analyze quality data and trends, identify improvement opportunities, and communicate recommendations to stakeholders.
- Develop or support training materials and promote lessons learned and continuous improvement.
- Continuously develop technical understanding of the assigned product group or program area.
- Perform additional duties as assigned by management.
Benefits
- Discretionary annual bonus plan
- Paid time off (PTO)
- Comprehensive health benefit package
- Various other benefits
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
