Lead Quality Engineer

Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Job description:

The Engineering Integrated Product Team Lead (IPTL) is responsible for leading cross-functional engineering teams in the evaluation, validation, and disposition of nonconforming material through engineering kit development and approval processes. This role coordinates engineering activities across disciplines (design, manufacturing, quality, materials, and stress) to ensure timely, compliant, and technically sound resolutions aligned with aerospace regulatory and customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Salary: 70k-90k

Leadership & Coordination

• Lead integrated product teams (IPTs) to address nonconforming material affecting production or in-service hardware.
• Serve as the primary engineering focal point for engineering kit validation and disposition activities.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders including Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management.
• Drive alignment across teams to meet schedule, cost, and technical objectives.

Engineering Kit Validation

• Oversee development and validation of engineering kits for nonconforming hardware (including repair schemes, rework instructions, and use-as-is evaluations).
• Ensure all engineering kits comply with applicable design requirements, safety standards, and regulatory frameworks (e.g., FAA/EASA).
• Review and approve technical data packages including drawings, analyses, test plans/results, and substantiation reports.
• Ensure proper configuration control and traceability of engineering kits.

Technical Oversight

• Evaluate structural, mechanical, materials, and manufacturing considerations in proposed solutions.
• Ensure all engineering analyses (stress, fatigue, thermal, etc.) meet certification and airworthiness requirements.
• Provide technical guidance to team members and ensure adherence to engineering best practices.

Program Execution

• Develop and manage schedules, deliverables, and milestones for engineering kit validation efforts.
• Monitor risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Provide regular status updates to program leadership and stakeholders.
• Support production needs by enabling timely resolution of nonconforming parts to avoid delays.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure compliance with aerospace standards (e.g., AS9100) and internal quality systems.
• Maintain proper documentation and audit readiness.
• Support internal and external audits related to nonconformance and engineering dispositions.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 4 years of engineering experience in aerospace or a highly regulated industry.
• Experience with nonconformance resolution, MRB processes, and engineering dispositions.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of engineering drawing interpretation, GD&T, and configuration control.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in engineering or related discipline.
• Prior experience as an IPTL, technical lead, or program engineering lead.
• Familiarity with FAA/EASA certification requirements and airworthiness standards.
• Experience with repair design, stress analysis, or materials engineering.
• Lean / Six Sigma certification.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and team coordination skills
• Excellent problem-solving and root cause analysis capability
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to work under pressure in production-support environments
• Technical rigor and attention to detail
• Project management and scheduling proficiency

Work Environment

• Fast-paced aerospace manufacturing or engineering environment
• Frequent cross-functional interaction
• May require occasional travel to suppliers, production sites, or customers

Impact of Role

This role is critical to ensuring flight safety, regulatory compliance, and production continuity by enabling timely and technically sound resolution of nonconforming material through robust engineering validation processes.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance