Sr. Customer Quality Engineer

Viasat, Inc.•Karlovy Vary, Georgia

About The Position

As a Customer Quality Engineer, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality and reliability of Viasat products throughout the product lifecycle. This position will serve as a key liaison between customers, suppliers, engineering, operations, and program management teams to drive continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction. You will lead quality planning and execution activities, support customer-facing quality initiatives, and champion advanced product quality processes. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), root cause and corrective action methodologies, and technical customer support in a aviation environment. This position requires a highly collaborative engineer with strong communication skills who can effectively influence cross-functional teams and confidently represent quality matters to customers and external partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Applied Sciences, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
10+ years of experience in quality, manufacturing, operations, and/or engineering within a product development and manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting customers and managing customer-facing quality issues.
Extensive experience with Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) methodologies and deliverables.
Strong understanding of quality systems and standards, including ISO9001 and/or AS9100.
Experience leading Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.
Working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles and quality tools, including FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, 8D, and 5 Why analysis.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, procedures, and manufacturing documentation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with customers, suppliers, executives, and cross-functional teams.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and lead initiatives with minimal supervision.
Ability to travel up to 15% domestically/internationally as needed.
US citizenship is required

Nice To Haves

7+ years auditing suppliers and supporting new production introduction
Experience supporting telecommunications, aerospace, electronics, or high-tech manufacturing products.
AS9100 or ISO9001 Lead Auditor training or certification.
Supplier Quality Engineering experience, including supplier audits and development activities.
Knowledge of First Article Inspection (AS9102) requirements.
Experience with ERP and PLM systems such as Oracle and Agile.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Experience supporting global manufacturing and supply chain organizations.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary quality representative supporting customers and addressing product quality concerns in a professional and timely manner.
Lead customer-facing quality investigations, corrective action activities, and quality reviews.
Drive robust Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) processes using tools such as 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone Analysis, and FMEA.
Champion Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) implementation and validation activities with internal teams and external suppliers.
Partner with Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure quality requirements are integrated throughout the product lifecycle.
Evaluate design, manufacturing, test, and operational processes for compliance with quality standards and effective risk mitigation.
Analyze quality metrics and trends to identify improvement opportunities and support business objectives.
Support new product introduction activities, including quality planning, validation, and production readiness reviews.
Participate in internal and external audits and support compliance with AS9100 quality management systems.
Develop and communicate quality performance metrics, status updates, and improvement plans to leadership and key stakeholders.