Associate Manager Quality Engineering

Rocketdyne; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocketdyne in Redmond, WA is hiring an Associate Manager of Quality Engineering to lead quality activities on aerospace hardware. The role provides guidance, coaching, and daily hands-on quality support on the production floor to ensure conformance to specifications and customer requirements.

You will drive continuous improvement, interpret drawings, implement ISO9001/AS9100 QMS, and coordinate with engineering and manufacturing to qualify products and resolve nonconformances across programs.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor's Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience.
• Graduate Degree or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of prior related experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as quality liaison between team and customer counterparts to ensure hardware meets specifications and handle deviations.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma tools in aerospace operations.
• Interpret engineering drawings and customer quality requirements to ensure compliance.
• Implement IMS policies and drive a preventive, zero defect quality culture.
• Drive continuous improvements of the quality system and manufacturing processes.
• Provide daily hands‑on quality support to production operations on the floor.
• Evaluate and disposition customer returns and in-process defects, implementing containment and corrective actions.
• Participate in MRB dispositions and documentation reviews for HAR and PSR.
• Collaborate with Project and Manufacturing Engineering to complete qualification and test plans.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Reading drawings

Ownership

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Graduate Degree or equivalent

Tools

FMEA

Pareto

5-Why

8D

Fishbone

Job description

Job Schedule: 1st Shift, 9/80

Rocketdyne is seeking to hire an Associate Manager of Quality Engineering to support our Redmond, WA operations.

This position works under general supervision, and may be responsible for entire projects or processes providing guidance, coaching, training, and delegation to other employees within the job area. Communicates with contacts within and outside of their own department with the occasional responsibilities of communicating with customers or vendors external to the organization. Makes moderate enhancements or improvements to systems and processes to solve problems. Works to achieve operational targets with moderate impact on department results.

Essential Functions

• Utilizes engineering background and expertise to communicate between team members and customer counterparts to provide assurance that the hardware is compliant to specifications. Handles and communicates deviations/ nonconformance at different levels within the organization. Understands and communicates typical aerospace processes (machining, welding, non‑destructive testing, etc.) and how they are applied to the hardware being manufactured.
• Applies modern quality principles, concepts, and methods to routine aerospace and manufacturing operation, including Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma tools.
• Interprets engineering drawings and specifications, customer quality requirements, and company quality requirements to ensure compliance with the customer's expectations.
• Implements IMS policies, procedures and standards for Quality Management that drive a preventive, zero defect culture of quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Drives continuous improvements of the quality system and manufacturing processes.
• Provide daily, hands‑on quality support to production operations by monitoring processes, responding to quality concerns, and addressing operator questions, as required, to support program during production phase.
• Evaluates and dispositions customer returns, in‑process defects, and address day‑to‑day quality concerns. Rapidly implementing containment and corrective actions, as applicable.
• Participates in the review and disposition of nonconforming product, including coordinating material review board (MRB) dispositions.
• Performs documentation reviews in support of hardware acceptance (HAR) and pre‑shipment (PSR) activities.
• Partners with Project and Manufacturing Engineering to complete qualification, identify critical to quality testing and inspections, implement test and inspection plans and processes, and generate test reports/memos.
• Reviews new contracts to determine the quality assurance requirements and flow down requirements to the appropriate level.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor’s Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience
• Graduate Degree or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of prior related experience.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively establish positive working relationships with various operational groups, all levels of employees, suppliers, and customers.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot quality or process issues with minimal guidance, using structured problem‑solving methods.
• Basic understanding of quality principles, measurement tools, and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, and work instructions.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively on the production floor.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and problem‑solving approach.
• Understanding of ISO9001/AS9100 and related QMS standards.
• Strong drive and sense of ownership.
• Experience using RCCA tools such as FMEA, Pareto, 5‑Why, 8D, and Fishbone.
• Exposure to product development in a multi‑functional team environment is desired.