Lead Quality Engineer - Aerospace & Defense Industry!

C/A Design Inc.; Exeter (NH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid Time Off

Education reimbursement program

Climate-controlled facility

Job summary

Heico seeks a Quality Engineer to own the QMS at the Exeter site, ensuring AS9100 compliance and alignment with customer requirements. You will partner with Quality Director and cross-functional teams to drive process documentation, CAPA activities, and process improvements.

The role emphasizes complex root cause investigations, prevention of quality risks, and support for audits and special processes in aerospace manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline required.
• 5-7 years of progressive quality engineering experience in aerospace, aviation, or defense manufacturing.
• Experience supporting AS9100-certified manufacturing environments and Nadcap preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as site owner for the QMS ensuring compliance with AS9100 and industry standards.
• Lead complex root cause investigations and CAPA activities.
• Coordinate document control and management review inputs.
• Support customer audits and interface with customer quality representatives.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

Skills

Quality engineering

AS9100

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Documentation control

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Optical Comparator

CMM

Calipers

Gages

Job description

• Serve as the site owner for the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring continued compliance with AS9100, customer requirements, and applicable industry standards.
• Assist the Quality Director in the development, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of quality policies, procedures, work instructions, and process documentation.
• Coordinate document control activities related to Quality procedures and system documentation.
• Coordinate management review inputs, quality objectives, and quality performance reporting.
• Monitor QMS effectiveness using performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and improve quality processes across the organization.
• Act as the Quality Director's delegate for day-to-day quality decisions and cross-functional coordination at the site.
• Coordinate quality priorities across multiple quality functions to ensure timely support of production and customer requirements.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations leadership to resolve complex quality issues.
• Foster collaboration between Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations.
• Support workload balancing across the quality team based on business priorities.
• Lead complex root cause investigations using structured problem-solving methodologies (8D, RCCA, 5 Why, Fishbone, etc.).
• Facilitate cross-functional Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) activities and verify effectiveness.
• Identify systemic quality risks and implement preventive improvements.
• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, contract requirements, and aerospace regulatory requirements.
• Support customer audits and interface directly with customer quality representatives.
• Support Special Process (Dip Brazing, Vacuum Brazing, Heat Treat, and Chemical Processing) compliance.
• Provide technical support to other Quality Engineers as needed, including: Corrective actions, first article inspections (AS9102), supplier quality, contract review, customer returns /escapes, MRB activities, process validations, risk assessments, production support, inspection process improveements.
• Participate in new product introduction and process validation activities.
• Support production readiness activities, process validation, and risk assessments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Serve as the site owner for the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring continued compliance with AS9100, customer requirements, and applicable industry standards.
• Assist the Quality Director in the development, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of quality policies, procedures, work instructions, and process documentation.
• Coordinate document control activities related to Quality procedures and system documentation.
• Coordinate management review inputs, quality objectives, and quality performance reporting.
• Monitor QMS effectiveness using performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and improve quality processes across the organization.
• Act as the Quality Director's delegate for day-to-day quality decisions and cross-functional coordination at the site.
• Coordinate quality priorities across multiple quality functions to ensure timely support of production and customer requirements.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations leadership to resolve complex quality issues.
• Foster collaboration between Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations.
• Support workload balancing across the quality team based on business priorities.
• Lead complex root cause investigations using structured problem-solving methodologies (8D, RCCA, 5 Why, Fishbone, etc.).
• Facilitate cross-functional Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) activities and verify effectiveness.
• Identify systemic quality risks and implement preventive improvements.
• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, contract requirements, and aerospace regulatory requirements.
• Support customer audits and interface directly with customer quality representatives.
• Support Special Process (Dip Brazing, Vacuum Brazing, Heat Treat, and Chemical Processing) compliance.
• Provide technical support to other Quality Engineers as needed, including: Corrective actions, first article inspections (AS9102), supplier quality, contract review, customer returns /escapes, MRB activities, process validations, risk assessments, production support, inspection process improveements.
• Participate in new product introduction and process validation activities.
• Support production readiness activities, process validation, and risk assessments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Equivalent experience may be considered.

Preferred Certifications

• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
• ASQ Certified Auditor (CQA)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• AS9100 Internal Auditor

Competencies

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment
• High level of professionalism and customer focus
• Strong organizational leadership without direct authority
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Excellent decision-making skills
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to express technical concepts effectively, both written and verbally

Experience

• 5-7 years of progressive Quality Engineering experience in aerospace, aviation, or defense manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience supporting AS9100-certified manufacturing environments.
• Experience working within NADCAP-accredited special process environments strongly preferred.
• Experience serving as a technical leader or mentor without direct supervisory responsibility preferred.
• Proficient with inspection methods, tools, and instruments (Optical Comparator, digital height gages, CMM, calipers, etc.), preferred.
• Experienced interpreting GD&T requirements of complex machined components, preferred.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft products;
• Familiarity with Nadcap accreditation is a plus.

What We Offer

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Additional 40 hours of Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Competitive 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions
• Education reimbursement program for professional development
• Climate-controlled facility
• Subsidized vending and on-site break areas
• Complimentary coffee and refreshments
• Clean, modern work environment with advanced equipment and technology
• Opportunities for career growth within a stable, growing aerospace manufacturing organization

About Heico

Heico has a history of success. Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over 80 separate companies through a strategic acquisition policy, and by reinvesting its earnings into internal growth and new prospects.

Historically talented at restoring distressed companies, Heico now strategically targets acquisitions that will complement its ever-growing portfolio of companies in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services.

These four core operations are organized into groups: Metal Processing Group, Construction Solutions Group, Applied Solutions Group, and Industrial Technologies Group. Once acquired, new Heico companies are assigned to a group and run on a stand-alone basis, allowing for great independence as well as the opportunity to share knowledge about markets, production processes, and management practices across other Heico groups and companies. Each Group has its own corporate team.

Heico continues to seek out new opportunities and maintain its standard of success. The Heico Companies has remained a privately held company since its creation and maintains a majority ownership in each of its operations, which generates more than $3.3 billion dollars in revenues. Many of our businesses are certified Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE).

More information about the holding company and overall organization can be found at www.heicocompanies.com.