Hardware Quality Engineer

orbitfab; Lafayette (CO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully covered benefits

Discretionary time off

Flexible work hours

Job summary

Orbit Fab in Colorado is seeking a Quality Engineer to ensure the reliability of spacecraft components and systems. You will partner with engineering and operations to define quality plans for flight products, drive nonconformance resolution, and support supplier QA and MRB processes in a cross-functional team.

This role offers a hybrid schedule (3-5 days on site in Lafayette) and opportunities to lead quality initiatives, improve metrics, and ensure compliance with aerospace standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or related technical field.
• Quality leadership in aerospace/defense standards for flight hardware, software, and electronics.
• Ability to lead quality initiatives across raw materials, components, and manufacturing.
• Familiar with ISO9001/AS9001 and reliability engineering, Lean, Six Sigma.
• Experience leading a technical quality team through development to production.
• Experience with metrology and CMMs is a plus.
• Strong communication with stakeholders and customers.
• Hybrid on-site work 3–5 days/week in Lafayette, CO.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement quality plans for flight products, identifying key characteristics and development/testing needs.
• Lead MRB processes and supplier quality assurance, conducting inspections and documenting outcomes.
• Implement standards and tools to sustain quality improvements.
• Review designs and work instructions to mitigate manufacturability and inspection challenges.
• Ensure compliance with external standards and regulatory requirements.
• Provide guidance as a QE resource within cross-functional teams.
• Support manufacturing with contractual and mission requirements.
• Lead nonconformance resolution and drive root causes and corrective actions.
• Improve quality metrics across the organization.

Skills

Quality leadership

Verbal communication

Written communication

CMMs/Metrology

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machines)

Job description

Orbit Fab's mission is to create the foundational infrastructure that will fuel a bustling in-space economy, capable of sustaining permanent jobs in space.Today, satellites cannot be refueled, which severely constrains their mobility and inhibits the development of economic activities in space.

Orbit Fab breaks the single-use paradigm, pioneering our Gas Stations in Space and RAFTI technology to deliver propellant in space, enabling lower-cost satellite construction, increased maneuverability, precise control, and extended lifespans. The possibilities are unprecedented, opening the doors to unimagined operational strategies and business models.

Since our establishment in 2018, we have already achieved the successful launch of three tankers to space. With offices in both the US and UK, we are working in close collaboration with partners and customers across the space industry. Orbit Fab is rapidly ramping up capabilities and requires exceptional talent to tackle important challenges. Our roles offer wide ranging opportunities to have a demonstrable impact and enable a bustling space economy.

About the role

As a Quality Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring the quality and reliability of Orbit Fab’s components and spacecraft.Working within the operations group, you’ll be tasked with defining and improving our quality processes, driving non-conformance resolution, and working with the development and test teams to identify solutions to difficult technical issues. This position will allow you to work independently and exercise your judgment, as well as be part of a cross-specialty team to solve the engineering problems that accompany products in space. If you consider yourself to be a builder, maker, or doer,

What you'll do

• Partner with engineering and operations teams through product development and production to create quality plans for flight products, including identification of key characteristics, development testing for functionality and manufacturability, and consideration of past failures and lessons learned
• Work with engineering and procurement to enhance supplier quality assurance and incoming receiving inspection processes. Conduct component first article and detailed inspections and document and lead our Material Review Board (MRB) process
• Implement standards, tools, and methods to ensure the effectiveness of quality processes and sustain quality performance improvements
• Review designs and work instructions and provide feedback to mitigate manufacturability and inspection challenges
• Provide research and interpretation of regulations and requirements to ensure compliance with external standards
• Participate in technical operations and offer guidance and/or serve as an additional technical engineering resource
• Support manufacturing compliance with customer and internal specifications to meet contractual and mission requirements
• Serve as expert resource in Quality Engineering (QE) principles, tools, methods, and standards
• Lead company’s nonconformance process and drive root causes and corrective actions
• Enhance company’s quality metrics

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field
• Quality and subject matter expert in aerospace & defense industry and government specifications & standards for flight hardware, software, and electronics
• Ability to provide technical quality leadership across the value stream, including raw material, vendor components, and internal/external manufacturing
• Familiar with quality standards such as ISO9001 or AS9001 as well as approaches such as Reliability Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma
• Conversant in Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control and able to compare/contrast both approaches
• Experience leading a technical team in Quality initiatives and transitions from development to production
• Experience with coordinate-measuring machines (CMMs), hand measurement techniques, and metrology a plus
• Strong verbal and written communication with team members, stakeholders, and customers, including the ability to develop and deliver clear, compelling technical presentations
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work in and contribute to a diverse and cross functional, multi-disciplinary team environment
• Must be willing and able to work a hybrid schedule (3-5 days a week on site) out of our Lafayette, CO office

Nice to Have

• Experience in fast-paced startup environment and gathering and analyzing data for process improvement
• Track record of developing space hardware through product life cycle and Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) as well as new product introduction experience
• 8+ years of applicable and related technical experience
• Well-versed in prototyping and new design/development processes

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Orbit Fab, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply if you feel you would succeed in the role above.

Location and Benefits

Orbit Fab is based out of Lafayette, Colorado and all roles are based in Colorado. We offer fully covered benefits, discretionary time off, and flexible work hours.

Eligibility

Orbit Fab Inc does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Export Control Requirement

This position requires access to technology, technical data, or software that is subject to U.S. export control restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To conform with these regulations, Orbit Fab requires that applicants for this position be U.S. Persons as defined by 22 CFR § 120.62, which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, and certain other individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C § 1324b(a)(3).