Manufacturing Quality Engineer

About the role

Leidos Defense Systems Mission Assurance is seeking a Manufacturing Quality Engineer to act as the quality engineering focal point on the production floor, owning process control, inspection execution and product acceptance as manufacturing scales to rate. The role sits in fabrication, machining, mechanical and composite assembly, welding, painting and coating, and flight hardware assembly, and ensures that what is built is executable, inspectable and demonstrably conforming at the point of manufacture. It is a hands-on individual contributor position reporting to the Manufacturing Quality Manager, with day-to-day technical direction to Quality Inspectors and Technicians but no direct supervisory responsibility. The position is based in the Huntsville / North Alabama, AL area.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the quality engineering point of contact for assigned production areas, cells and processes, and set up in-process inspection points, acceptance characteristics and evidence requirements.
• Develop, qualify and monitor special and key processes (welding, composites, coatings, heat treat, bonding) and support tooling, fixture and gauge/metrology selection.
• Review work instructions so they are executable and inspectable, and provide quality input to work instruction, traveler and inspection plan changes.
• Execute and dispose of First Article Inspections (FAI/AS9102) and support supplier part approvals; participate in Material Review Board activities.
• Provide inspection guidance to inspectors and technicians, and support internal and external audits including AS9100 surveillance, customer audits and government source inspections.
• Build and maintain quality metrics (first-pass yield, escape and defect rates, process capability, control charts, measurement system analysis) and turn them into reporting for manufacturing and program leadership.
• Lead root-cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) and continuous improvement (Kaizen, Six Sigma, value-stream mapping).
• Size inspection and metrology demand, support workmanship proficiency qualification, and support rate-readiness assessments.
• Resolve quality issues with manufacturing engineering, production, design engineering, supply chain, DCMA and other government and customer quality organizations, and interface with supplier and customer quality representatives.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline with 4-8 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree with 2 years of experience; additional defense contract manufacturing experience may substitute for the degree.
• 4+ years of hands-on quality engineering experience in a manufacturing or production environment; 8+ years of relevant experience is acceptable in lieu of a degree.
• Ability to work on the production floor and in shop environments, including exposure to PPE requirements.

Required skills

• Working knowledge of AS9100 / ISO 9001 and AS9102 First Article Inspection.
• Experience with root cause analysis and corrective action, and with statistical process control, process capability and measurement system analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.