NPI Engineer

Actalent; McMinnville (OR); On-site; USD 55,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Short and long-term disability

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent in McMinnville, OR seeks a New Product Quality Engineer to drive quality controls for new parts in a tightly regulated manufacturing shop. You will develop quality plans before production, identify failure modes, and define inspections and paperwork to prevent scrap.

The role emphasizes APQP, PFMEA, control plans, and First Article Inspections, with a four-ten hour schedule and a strong focus on cross-functional collaboration across engineering, production, and quality teams.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in quality or NPI engineering in regulated manufacturing (aerospace/medical/devices).
• Hands-on NPI in manufacturing setting with new product introductions.
• Experience leading APQP, PFMEA, control plans, PPAP, and First Article Inspections.
• Strong GD&T and blueprint-reading skills.
• Working knowledge of SPC and root cause analysis.
• Proven ability to set up quality systems early to prevent defects during ramp-up.
• Ability to decompose complex processes and document appropriate inspections and controls.

Responsibilities

• Build a compliance matrix aligning with quality standards and customer requirements.
• Run PFMEAs on new and incoming parts to identify failure modes.
• Write and roll out control plans from startup to production.
• Set up in-process inspection steps for ongoing checks.
• Keep new product docs organized (quality plans, PFMEAs, control plans, approvals).
• Lead APQP for new product launches to embed quality from day one.
• Plan and complete PPAP for new parts with required documents.
• Lead or support First Article Inspections to verify conformance.
• Read blueprints using GD&T to set critical features and inspection criteria.
• Use SPC and root cause analysis to monitor process performance and fix defects.
• Collaborate with engineering, production, and quality teams to establish correct processes.
• Improve upfront quality systems to reduce scrap and stabilize production.

Skills

Quality engineering

NPI engineering

APQP

PFMEA

Control plans

First Article Inspections

GD&T

SPC

Root cause analysis

Job description

New Product Quality Engineer

Location: Yamhill County, OR

This role mixes quality and engineering work, with a focus on setting up strong quality controls for new parts in a tightly regulated manufacturing shop. You'll build the quality plan for each new product before it hits production. That means working out what could go wrong with a part, how to catch it, what inspections and paperwork it needs, and how to keep it from turning into scrap months later. The work is careful and process driven, and you'll be on a four day, ten hour schedule.

Responsibilities

• Build a compliance matrix for each new part so it lines up with every quality standard and customer requirement that applies.
• Run PFMEAs on new and incoming parts to find where the manufacturing process could fail.
• Write and roll out control plans, from first startup through full production, that address the risks found in the PFMEA.
• Set up in process inspection steps so builders and inspectors can check parts as they go.
• Keep new product documentation organized and accurate, including quality plans, PFMEAs, control plans, and approval records.
• Lead APQP for new product launches so quality is part of the process from day one.
• Plan and complete PPAP for new parts, making sure all documents and validation steps are done.
• Lead or support First Article Inspections to confirm new products meet spec and the process works.
• Read blueprints and drawings using GD&T to set critical features and inspection criteria.
• Use SPC and root cause analysis to watch process performance and solve quality problems.
• Work with engineering, production, and quality teams to set up processes and inspection steps correctly before ramp up.
• Keep improving the up front quality system to cut scrap, prevent defects, and keep new product production stable.

Qualifications

Required

• At least 5 years in quality engineering or NPI engineering in aerospace, defense, medical device, or another tightly regulated manufacturing field
• Hands on new product introduction experience in a manufacturing setting
• Experience leading APQP, PFMEAs, control plans, PPAP, and First Article Inspections on new product launches
• Strong GD&T and blueprint reading skills
• Working knowledge of SPC and root cause analysis
• Track record of setting up quality systems early to prevent defects and reduce scrap during ramp up
• Ability to break down complex manufacturing processes and set up the right documents, inspections, and controls before production starts
• Strong mechanical and engineering foundation
• Detail oriented, organized, and methodical in how you work

Preferred

• New product development experience in a regulated industry
• Knowledge of quality standards used in aerospace, defense, medical device, or similar fields
• Experience supporting design, project engineering, or product engineering work
• Experience driving corrective and preventive actions
• Experience building compliance matrices for new parts and processes
• Comfort working across engineering, production, and inspection teams

Work Environment or Schedule

You'll work four ten hour days a week, which gives you an extra day off. Your time is split between the shop floor and a desk. Most of the work is setting up processes, writing documentation, and designing quality systems, not reacting to problems on the line. The team puts a lot of weight on building processes right the first time and working closely across groups to improve quality and cut scrap.

Additional Information

Local candidates are preferred. If you live outside the area, be ready to discuss your plan to relocate to the Portland area if selected to move forward.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of McMinnville, OR.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $50.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in McMinnville,OR.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 16, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.