Job TitleProduct Development Quality Engineer (PDQE) - SurveillancePosition SummaryThe Product Development Quality Engineer (PDQE) serves as the independent Quality Assurance authority for avionics product development programs. This role ensures compliance with applicable aviation development standards, certification requirements, customer design assurance obligations, and internal quality management system requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
The PDQE partners with Engineering, Program Management, Certification, Manufacturing, Configuration Management, and customers to provide objective oversight of software, hardware, systems, database, and certification activities. The role supports both ACSS and Acron product development programs and serves as a key participant in regulatory compliance, development audits, design assurance activities, certification releases, and customer-facing quality engagements.
Product Development Quality Assurance- Provide independent Quality Assurance oversight for product development activities
- Ensure compliance with approved development plans, standards, procedures, and certification requirements
- Verify adherence to:
- DO-178C Software Considerations
- DO-254 Complex Electronic Hardware
- ARP4754A System Development
- DO-200B Data Processing Standards
- DO-330 Software Tool Qualification
- Participate in development planning activities, lifecycle reviews, and project audits
- Review development artifacts and confirm transition criteria are satisfied before progression to subsequent lifecycle phases
Development Process Compliance & Auditing- Develop, maintain, and audit Process Compliance Statements (PCS)
- Conduct software, hardware, systems, database, and certification audits
- Document findings, observations, and opportunities for improvement
- Initiate and track Corrective Action Requests (CARs) for systemic or recurring issues
- Provide objective compliance visibility to management and certification authorities
Certification & Release Assurance- Support certification programs involving TSO, STC, AML-STC, ETSO, and customer-specific approval requirements
- Review certification deliverables for compliance and completeness
- Participate in product, software, firmware, and database release approval activities
- Verify configuration control and release integrity
- Perform independent reviews of certification and release documentation
Design Assurance & Customer Authority Support- Support Airbus, Thales, Northrop Grumman, Wisk, and other customer-specific design assurance requirements
- Serve as Quality representative for DAC, DOA, and DOID-related activities
- Support customer authority audits, assessments, and corrective action responses
- Maintain compliance evidence required by customer design organization approvals
Program & Risk Management- Participate in development phase gates and program reviews
- Identify product development quality risks and escalation requirements
- Support root cause analysis and risk mitigation activities
- Provide objective recommendations to program leadership regarding compliance readiness and certification risk
Continuous Improvement- Analyze recurring development findings and audit trends
- Recommend improvements to development processes, standards, and procedures
- Support Quality Management System (QMS) improvement initiatives and regulatory compliance efforts
- Mentor engineering teams on quality and compliance expectations
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Aviation, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline
Experience- 8+ years of experience in aerospace, avionics, aviation certification, quality assurance, engineering, or a related field
- Experience supporting certified airborne systems and software development programs
- Experience conducting audits and compliance assessments
Technical Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of- RTCA DO-178B/C
- RTCA DO-254
- SAE ARP4754A
- DO-200B
- DO-330 Software Tool Qualification
- FAA and EASA certification processes
- Configuration Management principles
- Corrective Action and Root Cause Analysis methodologies
- AS9100 Quality Management Systems
- Product lifecycle development processes
Preferred Additional Skills- FAA, EASA, Airbus, Boeing, Thales, or military development program experience
- Lead Auditor training or certification
- Experience supporting Design Assurance or Design Organization Approval activities
- Familiarity with airborne surveillance, collision avoidance, connectivity, data management, or flight operations systems
- Experience supporting customer authority audits and regulatory engagements
- Strong understanding of avionics certification and product release processes
Key Competencies- Independent judgment and integrity
- Technical auditing
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk assessment
- Cross-functional leadership
- Customer-facing communication
- Certification support
- Problem solving
- Influence without authority
- Executive-level reporting
