Senior Quality Engineer

AeroVironment•Albuquerque, NM

23d

About The Position

The Senior Quality Engineer (QE) is accountable for delivered product quality to customers and for effective quality controls across the product lifecycle. The role partners with program, product, and operations teams to eliminate cost and flow disruptions, implement visual factory KPIs, and lead problem reporting and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) for nonconformances. It includes customer-facing quality and internal product quality responsibilities. The QE develops quality plans and controls for components and systems from development through production and sustainment; establishes quality metrics, testing methods, inspection procedures, and acceptance criteria; reviews manufacturing planning; and performs process capability analysis. The role collaborates with engineering and customers to define and flow down quality requirements, supports design quality through DFM, DFA, risk analysis, and FMEA, and contributes to APQP and product readiness activities. It also conducts internal and supplier audits and analyzes quality performance to drive measurable improvement. The position documents and prioritizes defects, leads complex investigations into product and process nonconformances, field issues, and test escapes, and applies advanced problem-solving and statistical methods to determine root causes. It leads the Material Review Board process, coordinates cross-functional dispositions, monitors MRB metrics, and drives corrective action and failure analysis. The QE also serves as a primary quality liaison across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Business/Finance, and mentors other engineers. The role requires access to export-controlled information under ITAR and/or EAR. Applicants must qualify as a U.S. person or be eligible for an export license; some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements. The posting also states ITAR U.S. Citizenship required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
5–8 years of related quality engineering experience.
Strong understanding of DMAIC, FMEA, APQP, Statistical Process Control (SPC), Gage R&R studies, and lean manufacturing methodologies.
Demonstrated knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, and AS9102 standards and audits.
Knowledge of manufacturing standards and regulations such as IPC-A-610 and IPC/WHMA-A-620.
Ability to communicate with internal and external customers and suppliers to resolve process gaps and apply requirements cost-effectively.
Knowledge of dimensional inspection measurement systems and their application to complex products, including full understanding of ASME Y14.5 (GD&T), and expertise in mechanical inspection methods and skills.
Ability to collect, compile, and analyze data using appropriate Six Sigma methods to determine root causes and define effective corrective and preventive actions.
Demonstrated ability to drive internal and external DPPM (scrap and rework) reduction and on-time delivery (OTD) improvements, internally and at suppliers.
Hands-on experience with quality testing equipment, measurement tools, and inspection techniques.
Experience creating and documenting dimensional data packs and First Article Inspection Reports (FAIs).
Strong written and verbal communication, analytical, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work effectively as an individual contributor and as a member of cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Access, PowerPoint, Excel).
ITAR/EAR access requirement: applicants must qualify as a U.S. person or be eligible for an export license; some positions require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements. The posting states ITAR U.S. Citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated initiative to work efficiently and streamline processes, with ability to work with little day-to-day instruction.
Ability to quickly understand complex situations, evaluate risks, and assist leadership in recommending courses of action.
Ability to use professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues creatively and effectively.
Strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives; takes ownership of work and seeks to improve performance.
Commitment to teamwork and collaboration, placing team success above individual interests.
Proven experience mentoring and developing other engineers and explaining complex quality concepts in practical terms to non-quality stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement quality assurance and quality control plans for components and systems across the product lifecycle.
Define quality metrics, testing methodologies, and inspection procedures to ensure adherence to quality standards from development through production and sustainment.
Review manufacturing planning to align quality control points and data collection; coordinate work with Quality Technicians and Inspectors as necessary.
Perform process capability analysis on key characteristics and implement inspection and quality plans.
Ensure product acceptance criteria reflect the customer's definition of fitness for use.
Review customer contracts and purchase orders, flow down quality requirements, and collaborate with customer representatives to align on requirements and expectations.
Collaborate with engineering teams to establish quality requirements, specifications, and standards for new product development.
Provide input on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) to optimize product quality and efficiency.
Assess design risks to identify quality and reliability risks and develop mitigation strategies, including use of FMEA.
Participate in Product Readiness Reviews (PRR), coordinate Final Inspection activities, and review engineering specifications for adequate quality and reliability requirements.
Lead Quality's contribution to Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) across planning, design, process development, validation, and launch.
Provide guidance on quality enhancement strategies and interpretation of workmanship criteria.
Conduct internal and supplier audits, including audits of the quality management system, purchasing, contract review, and manufacturing processes.
Analyze internal and external quality performance and drive measurable improvements aligned with strategic business objectives.
Document and track defects in designated Quality Management Systems, prioritize them by severity and impact, and coordinate corrective actions with cross-functional teams.
Lead investigations into product and process nonconformances, field issues, and test escapes; apply problem-solving tools to determine root causes.
Lead the Material Review Board (MRB) process, ensuring timely review, risk assessment, and disposition of nonconforming product in accordance with quality standards and internal processes.
Coordinate cross-functional MRB meetings to support data-based disposition decisions and prevent recurrence of known defects.
Monitor and report MRB and disposition metrics and recommend improvements to reduce nonconformance.
Drive timely corrective action and failure analysis; analyze quality data and perform statistical analysis to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
Act as the primary quality liaison between Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Business/Finance.
Mentor and develop other engineers, explaining quality concepts to non-quality stakeholders.