Quality Assurance Engineer (ISO 13485)

glidewelldental; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Glidewell Dental seeks a Quality Assurance Engineer to drive quality across medical device development and manufacturing. You will own QA activities, risk management, CAPA, validation, and our Quality Management System, partnering with cross‑functional teams to ensure safety, performance, and compliance.

Ideal candidates have a minimum of 3 years in quality engineering, knowledge of FDA/ISO13485, ISO14971, and strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
• At least 3 years of quality engineering and risk management experience.
• Knowledge of FDA regulations, ISO 13485, and other quality standards.
• Experience with ISO 14971 risk management and design controls.
• Proficiency in Minitab or equivalent quality tools.
• CQE, CQA or Six Sigma certification is a plus.
• Experience with medical devices (Class I/II) preferred.
• Familiarity with EU MDR and UDI requirements preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality assurance and quality engineering activities to ensure products meet requirements.
• Support CAPA, NCR investigations, and root cause analysis.
• Collaborate on testing, validation, and risk assessment across departments.
• Analyze data and trends and report results to management.
• Participate in design verification testing for design control projects.

Job description

We're looking for a Quality Assurance Engineer to help build quality into every stage of our medical device development and manufacturing. You'll have broad ownership across quality engineering, risk management, CAPA, validation, and our Quality Management System. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you'll solve complex quality challenges, support new products and processes, and help ensure what we build meets the highest standards for safety, performance, and compliance.

Essential Functions

• Conducts engineering activities in compliance with FDA Regulations, ISO 13485, and other national and international quality and regulatory requirements and standards.
• Leads product quality assurance and quality engineering activities to drive strong engineering and technical knowledge.
• Creates quality assurance, engineering programs, and initiatives to ensure products are developed and manufactured according to applicable requirements.
• Collaborates on investigations of NCR’s and complaints as necessary; suggests corrective and preventive actions based on engineering analysis and review; suggests effective solutions to drive continuous and measurable improvements.
• Works with various departments to ensure highest quality products and processes are developed, deployed, and meet all engineering requirements; activities include but not limited to product design testing, process testing, characterization, qualification, validation, and risk analysis/FMEA.
• Collaborates to create systems for the identification, analysis, correction, and prevention of quality issues; identifies areas for improvement as needed.
• Participates in quality engineering projects from inception to deployment.
• Participates in CAPA Management and other quality engineering projects.
• Participates in trainings for quality engineering tools within the organization using ISO 14971.
• Collaborates with team members to provide technicians and R&D personnel to provide technical leadership in problem resolution, process streamlining, and continuous improvement activities.
• Analyzes data and trends; reports results to management.
• Collaborates with team members to complete failure investigations and root cause analysis.
• Collaborates in design verification testing for design control projects.
• Performs returned product analysis and failure investigation activities.
• Ensures procedures and regulations are adequately followed during NCMR process.
• Ensures calibration and preventive management systems meet compliance requirements.
• Identifies the optimization of complex manufacturing processes using engineering methods for manufacturing design and continuous process improvement.
• Identifies opportunities for re-design and/or design of more complex equipment, tools, and fixtures to improve manufacturing processes and reduce risk.
• Performs other related duties and projects as business needs require at direction of management

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of experience and training; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum three (3) years of experience in quality engineering and risk management.
• Knowledge of FDA regulations, ISO 13485, and other applicable international quality standards.
• Knowledge of risk management (ISO 14971), design controls, and validation methodologies.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in quality and statistical analysis tools such as Minitab or equivalent software.
• Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Six Sigma certification, preferred.
• Experience with combination products or Class I/II medical devices, preferred.
• Familiarity with EU MDR and UDI regulatory requirements, preferred.

Pay range: $70,000.00 - $100,000/yr.

Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience.

This role is fully onsite at our Irvine, CA campus. Remote or hybrid arrangements are not available.