Associate Quality Engineer - Quality Engineer

Summary:

The Quality Engineer will be responsible for assisting in all aspects of quality engineering for AST’s satellite assembling, integration, and testing (AIT), including electronics, ground support equipment, tools, and safe operations. The Quality Engineer will provide quality assurance support to the product development team, resolving bugs, defects, and other potential issues and ensuring that specifications are met.  And support issue resolution, audits and surveys of the supply base.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepares, maintains, and reviews quality assurance procedures to assure compliance with customer and/or government requirements.
• Support the implementation of Product Assurance Plan (PAP) and implement its program strategy, policies, and procedures necessary to ensure compliance with all internal practices and requirements.
• Analyzes data of production runs as needed to ensure parts produced meet requirements.
• Develops and initiates standards and methods for inspection, testing, and evaluation.
• Performs supplier quality efforts associated with process audits and issue resolution.
• Drive manufacturing efficiency improvements by evaluating current processes plant-wide and applying process control methods or process changes as necessary.
• Performs quality review and drives disposition of nonconforming material and generate corresponding reports
• Process, investigate and disposition RMA's
• Monitors the production cycle of units and performs regular/necessary tests/evaluation to identify potential malfunctions and reliability issues as early as possible.
• Assists in quality inspection and control for all satellite system/subsystem integration and testing activities including flight hardware/software integration/testing, ground supporting equipment and calibrations, tools, and safety.
• Develop and maintain strong and effective working relations with program offices, other AST organizations, vendors, and contractors
• Review practices, procedures and processes seeking avenues to improve efficiency and effectiveness and reduce risk to product/program quality.
• Provides support to the quality engineering department.
• Ensures that assigned parts meet quality requirements for the company from receiving inspection through final assembly.
• Reviews design plans, process procedures, test procedures, and quality manuals to understand the scope, requirements, and function of the parts.
• Works with senior engineers to perform inspection analyses and failure analyses and tests.
• Reviews corrective actions that have been implemented in the production process.
• Identifies root causes of problems in the production process; recommends and/or implements corrective measures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or 10 years of related discipline/or equivalent work experience
• Associate Level:
  • 0-3 experience of quality system experience in an aerospace, aviation, or military manufacturing environment
• Mid-Level: 
  • Minimum 3 years of quality system experience in an aerospace, aviation, or military manufacturing environment
• Experience reading engineering blueprints/drawings
• Ability to work in an environment with evolving requirements and dynamic schedules
• Experience leading RCCA’s
• Working knowledge of the standards and working principles of manufacturing and production aerospace industry.
• Solid understanding of QMS principals and processes of complicated electronics, particularly those used for space applications
• Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures for piece part, assembly, system level inspections, and verifications
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident Card Holder

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Excellent listening skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software. Experience in Design/Test Readiness/Manufacturing Readiness Reviews
• Knowledge of Quality Systems and Processes
• Experienced with Material Review Board (MRB)
• May be certified in lean, six-sigma quality engineering methodologies and root cause corrective action training/certification
• Experience with program management and project management tools
• Understanding of export control and ITAR requirements for working with international suppliers