Sr. Product Quality Engineer - Flight Test
About The Position
Archer is seeking a Sr. Product Quality Engineer - Flight Test to join its Quality Engineering team on-site at the Salinas flight test operations center. The position contributes to quality engineering on the flight line, executing quality controls to ensure developmental aircraft, integrated systems, and flight hardware meet safety, operational, and regulatory airworthiness standards. The role works hands-on with flight test crews, assembly engineers, and technicians. It develops digital inspection plans, processes non-conformances through MRB, performs root-cause investigations, and supports FAA conformity inspections in a fast-paced prototype environment where hardware and flight test operations evolve rapidly.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- At least 5 years of hands-on quality or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace or flight test environments.
- Direct, hands-on experience supporting active flight lines, flight test centers, or aircraft hangar operations.
- Applied working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and experience verifying complex physical assemblies against engineering models.
- Proven experience with AS19102 First Article Inspections (FAI), MRB dispositioning, and FAA conformity inspection processes.
- Experience navigating PLM, MES, and ERP platforms, such as Teamcenter and SAP, to execute inspection plans and disposition non-conformances.
- Ability to work independently, solve complex technical problems with minimal guidance, and drive processes to completion in evolving, early-stage engineering programs.
Nice To Haves
- Valid FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license or FAA Designee (DMAR, DAR, or DER) exposure or credentials.
- Experience with composite structural assembly, high-voltage battery systems, or complex aircraft wire harness integration.
- Hands-on experience with APQP methodologies (AS9145), PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
- Familiarity with AS9100, AS9102, AS9103, and AS6500 standards.
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certification.
- Exposure to eVTOL, urban air mobility (UAM), or prototype aircraft development programs.
Responsibilities
- Inspect and disposition airframe components, avionics, wire harnesses, and integrated systems in a hangar or flight-line setting.
- Assist with hardware, documentation, and tooling preparation for company and FAA conformity inspections; perform AS19102 First Article Inspections (FAIs) and regulatory verification checks.
- Conduct Material Review Board (MRB) dispositions and apply Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA/CAPA) techniques to resolve technical defects on flight hardware.
- Develop and maintain electronic inspection plans within MES for consistent verification across flight-line operations and maintenance activities.
- Review 2D drawings and 3D Model-Based Definitions (MBD), applying ASME Y14.5 GD&T principles and metrology tools to verify physical hardware.
- Partner with Design, Aircraft Integration, and Test Operations to communicate flight-line learnings to manufacturing and engineering design teams.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
