Export Control Requirement: Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Key job responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Development
• Supervise, coach, and develop a team of quality technicians and inspectors across teams/shifts
• Manage daily workforce allocation to ensure coverage across inspection stations
• Conduct performance reviews, set goals aligned to quality KPIs, and manage skill matrices
• Drive training and certification programs (IPC, J-STD, workmanship standards, blueprint reading, GD&T)
• Build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and "stop the line" authority

2. Inspection & Conformance Oversight
• Ensure all inspection activities (dimensional, visual, functional) are executed per work instructions (work order templates)
• Review and approve inspection records, measurement data, and acceptance/rejection decisions
• Oversee calibration compliance for quality owned inspection tooling (CMM, micrometers, optical systems, FLIR, etc.)

3. Nonconformance & Disposition Management
• Oversee NCR initiation, documentation quality, and timely dispositioning (Use As-Is, Rework, Repair, Scrap)
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) activities
• Support containment actions - quarantine, segregation, and lot traceability
• Drive root cause analysis (5-Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree) with technicians on recurring defects

4. Process & Quality System Compliance
• Ensure team adherence to Quality Management System (QMS) procedures, PFMEA, and control plans
• Own and maintain inspection-related procedures, work instructions, and visual aids
• Support internal/external audit readiness (AS9100, customer audits, NASA requirements)
• Manage quality holds, stop-ships, and escalation protocols

5. Production Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with manufacturing/production leadership to balance quality rigor with throughput targets
• Provide real-time quality support on the production floor - disposition decisions, interpretation of specs, workmanship calls
• Collaborate with engineering on drawing/spec clarifications, ECO (Engineering Change Order) implementation, and process changes
• Interface with supplier quality on incoming material issues
• Support new product introduction (NPI) with inspection planning and lessons learned

6. Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Own quality metrics for the inspection team: escape rate, inspection cycle time, NC aging, audit findings
• Prepare and present data for daily stand-ups, WBR, and QIP (Quality Improvement Plan) reviews
• Drive Lean/Six Sigma projects to reduce inspection bottlenecks and improve defect detection
• Identify automation opportunities (automated inspection, vision systems, data collection tools)
• Implement corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) and verify effectiveness

7. Risk Management & Escalation
• Ensure critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics receive appropriate inspection rigor
• Escalate systemic quality trends, repeat NCs, or potential escapes to quality engineering/management
• Maintain awareness of product safety, reliability, and mission-critical implications unique to satellite hardware
• Support anomaly investigations and contribute to Correction of Error (COE) processes

A day in the life
• Attend shift handoff/stand-up with outgoing and incoming quality technicians to review open NCs, containment actions, inspection backlogs, and any overnight holds or escapes
• Walk the production floor to verify inspection stations are staffed, calibrated equipment is in place, and any quarantined material is properly segregated and labeled
• Review overnight inspection data and FPY dashboards; identify any new trend breaks or repeat defects that need immediate investigation or escalation to quality engineering
• Lead a cross-functional tag-up with manufacturing and process engineering on a recurring harness routing NC - assign containment, review 5-Why progress, and align on corrective action timeline
• Conduct a one-on-one with a newer inspector to review their training progress, discuss skill gaps in GD&T interpretation, and schedule their next certification milestone
• Prepare and present the weekly quality metrics roll-up (NC aging, escape rate, inspection cycle time)

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- 5+ years of people management experience

- 3+ years of quality assurance testing experience

- 3+ years of Excel (pivots, lookups, etc.) experience

- Experience identifying and solving complex problems through data analysis

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- 5+ years of directly managing and leading a team of 15+ members experience

- Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma concepts and best practices

- Knowledge of APQP methodology especially PFMEA and Control Plan tools

- Bachelor's degree in engineering, management, or technology

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Kirkland - 136,000.00 - 184,000.00 USD annually