Sr. Quality Assurance Engineer

Ralliant

$95K — $115K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field required; master's degree is a plus.
  • 5+ years of experience in Quality Engineering required; 10+ years preferred.
  • Aerospace and defense quality experience strongly preferred; other regulated environments may be considered with core AS9100 experience.
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing process validation and inspection methods is essential.
  • Demonstrated experience in structured root cause analysis and corrective action methods like 8D required.

Responsibilities

  • Own manufacturing quality for assigned areas in collaboration with Operations and Engineering.
  • Analyze production and quality data to identify trends and drive actions to reduce defects.
  • Lead investigations and root cause analyses to resolve quality issues rigorously.
  • Review engineering and manufacturing plans to align with customer requirements and quality standards.
  • Serve as the primary quality interface for aerospace and defense customer programs, ensuring clear communication of risks.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to mentor and coach team members, enhancing professional growth.
  • Dynamic and challenging work environment within aerospace and defense sectors.
  • Chance to influence quality processes across multiple teams and functions.
  • Visible roles with direct impact on manufacturing quality and customer satisfaction.
Full Job Description
Job Overview

PacSci EMC is seeking two Senior Quality Assurance Engineers to strengthen quality performance in our aerospace and defense manufacturing operations. Each engineer will take independent ownership of manufacturing quality in assigned areas while serving as a quality partner to major customer programs and supporting supplier issues. These visible roles call for sound technical judgment, data-driven problem solving, strong relationships and the ability to mentor others as our quality processes continue to evolve.

Essential Functions
• Own manufacturing quality for assigned areas, working directly with Operations, Engineering and integrated product teams to resolve product and process issues and improve first-pass yield.
• Analyze production and quality data, identify trends and systemic risks, and drive action to reduce nonconformances, recurring defects and corrective-action backlog.
• Lead investigations, root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions; use a structured method appropriate to the issue and follow actions through to verified resolution.
• Review engineering requirements, configuration and revisions, manufacturing and acceptance plans, inspection methods and quality records to support alignment with design intent, statements of work and customer requirements.
• Develop and improve manufacturing process validation, control plans, inspection instructions and quality-system documentation; support first article activities, including AS9102 requirements.
• Serve as a quality interface for assigned aerospace and defense customer programs, communicating risks, quality performance and corrective-action status professionally and clearly.
• Review proposals, statements of work and customer requirements with Program Management and cross-functional partners to identify quality and compliance risks early.
• Coordinate quality issues across manufacturing, customer programs, Procurement, Planning, Strategic Sourcing and suppliers, maintaining ownership until resolution.
• Support supplier quality requirements, flow-downs and issue resolution, including occasional supplier visits when needed.
• Make well-supported quality decisions independently; seek peer review or escalate material risks with a clear assessment and recommended path forward.
• Mentor and coach team members through technical problem solving, sound documentation and consistent follow-through; help strengthen proactive quality practices.
• Build effective relationships from the production floor through engineering, customer teams and leadership; influence decisions without direct authority and contribute to continuous improvement.

Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline required; manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering and chemistry backgrounds are especially relevant. A master's degree is a plus.
• Five or more years of hands-on Quality Engineering experience required; ten or more years preferred. Strong ownership, judgment and relevant results can distinguish an exceptional candidate with fewer than ten years.
• Aerospace and defense quality experience strongly preferred. Experience in other highly regulated, high-volume manufacturing environments may be considered when the candidate meets the core quality engineering and AS9100 requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Demonstrated hands-on manufacturing quality engineering ownership and experience supporting customer or program quality activities. Prior direct customer interaction is valuable, but candidates with strong transferable communication and program experience will be considered.
• Strong working knowledge of manufacturing process validation, control plans, inspection methods, quality records and corrective action processes.
• Demonstrated use of structured root cause and corrective action methods, such as 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone/Ishikawa or Apollo; 8D experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 required.
• Familiarity with AS9102 / First Article Inspection preferred; role-specific application can be learned.
• Working knowledge of GD&T required; FMEA and process capability/Cpk experience preferred.
• Lean and/or Six Sigma experience preferred; a specific belt certification is not required.
• Ability to interpret technical requirements, analyze quality trends and explain risks and corrective actions to Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, suppliers and customers.
• Independent judgment and ownership in decisions with potentially significant safety, customer, program, compliance and financial consequences; ability to seek another perspective and escalate appropriately.
• Strong relationship-building, mentoring and influencing skills, including the ability to challenge decisions constructively and work with people at different levels.
• Positive, curious, detail-oriented and coachable approach; brings recommendations with problems, works effectively with a team and drives actions through completion.
• ERP or manufacturing execution system (MES) experience is beneficial. No specific software platform is required.

Work Environment and Travel
• This position is 100% onsite in Chandler, Arizona.
• The normal schedule is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week, with staggered eight-hour schedules to support manufacturing operations running approximately 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Urgent mission or customer deliveries may occasionally require later hours or Saturday support.
• Travel is expected to be approximately 5% or less, primarily for problem solving at another site or occasional supplier visits.

Export Control Requirement

Due to U.S. Government contract requirements applicable to this position, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment in this role.

Is this role subject to ITAR?
The essential duties of this position require adherence to U.S. Government export control regulations. Accordingly, candidates must either be U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, or protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) or be prepared to collaborate with the company in securing the necessary U.S. government export authorizations. While the company encourages all interested applicants to apply, please be aware that ongoing employment is dependent upon obtaining the appropriate government export authorizations.

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