Quality Engineer

Actalent; City of Johnstown (NY); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) retirement plan

Life Insurance

Disability coverage

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

PTO/Vacation/Sick Leave

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Quality Engineer to lead production quality assurance for flight hardware and deployable space structures. You will own nonconformance management, drive root cause and corrective actions, and support supplier quality across production and manufacturing operations.

The role requires hands-on experience in aerospace quality systems, CAPA, and strong collaboration with engineering, manufacturing and supply chain teams.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in quality engineering within aerospace or closely related industries.
• Hands-on experience with production quality assurance for flight hardware or high-reliability mechanical systems.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of AS9100 standards in a manufacturing or aerospace environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing nonconformances, including investigation, documentation, and resolution.
• Proficiency in CAPA methodologies.
• Experience supporting supplier quality activities, including supplier qualification, audits, and on-site visits.
• Ability to lead quality system and process improvement initiatives and drive measurable results.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to interpret technical documentation, specifications, and quality requirements.
• Effective communication for cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality assurance activities for production and flight hardware manufacturing, ensuring products meet aerospace standards.
• Act as the quality owner for product nonconformances, including investigation and corrective actions.
• Manage and document nonconformance reports with cross-functional teams.
• Apply and maintain AS9100 compliance across processes.
• Support supplier quality activities including supplier qualification, audits, and on-site visits.
• Create and manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs).
• Provide source inspection to verify supplier materials meet requirements.
• Identify inefficiencies and lead quality improvement initiatives.
• Support qualification and acceptance activities for flight hardware.
• Collaborate with in-house composites and assembly teams to embed quality into processes.
• Contribute to cradle-to-grave product lifecycle quality.

Skills

Quality engineering

Flight hardware QA

AS9100 knowledge

NCR management

CAPA methods

Supplier quality

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional teamwork

Documentation skills

Job description

Job Title: Quality Engineer

Job Description

The Quality Engineer leads production quality assurance for flight hardware and deployable space structures, ensuring products meet rigorous aerospace standards and customer requirements. This role owns nonconformance management, drives root cause and corrective actions, supports supplier quality, and leads continuous improvement of quality systems and processes across production and manufacturing operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality assurance activities for production and flight hardware manufacturing, ensuring products meet all applicable aerospace and internal quality standards.
• Act as the quality owner for product nonconformances, including investigation, root cause analysis, and coordination of corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage and document nonconformance reports, ensuring timely resolution and effective communication with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.
• Apply and maintain compliance with AS9100 standards in production, inspection, and quality management processes.
• Support supply chain quality activities, including new supplier qualification and approval, supplier audits, and supplier on-site visits.
• Create and manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), ensuring robust corrective and preventive actions are implemented and verified.
• Provide source inspection support to verify supplier-provided materials and components meet specifications and quality requirements.
• Identify inefficiencies in quality systems and production processes, and lead initiatives to improve quality, efficiency, and reliability.
• Support qualification and acceptance activities for flight hardware, including inspection, documentation, and validation of compliance to requirements.
• Collaborate with in-house composites manufacturing and mechanical assembly teams to ensure quality is built into processes from concept through production.
• Contribute to cradle-to-grave product lifecycle activities, supporting quality from initial concept through product build, test, and delivery for launch.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in quality engineering within aerospace or closely related industries.
• Hands-on experience with production quality assurance for flight hardware or high-reliability mechanical systems.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of AS9100 standards in a manufacturing or aerospace environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing nonconformances, including investigation, documentation, and resolution.
• Proficiency in root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) methodologies.
• Experience supporting supplier quality activities, including supplier qualification, audits, and on-site visits.
• Ability to lead quality system and process improvement initiatives and drive measurable results.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to interpret technical documentation, specifications, and quality requirements.
• Effective communication skills for cross-functional collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Background in aerospace, particularly in flight hardware or space structures.
• Experience with deployable structures, composites, or high-strain composite materials.
• Familiarity with supplier corrective action processes, including SCAR creation and follow-up.
• Experience supporting qualification and acceptance testing, including inspection and compliance validation.
• Comfort working across the full product lifecycle, from concept development through production and delivery.
• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments and interface effectively with production personnel.

Work Environment

This role operates in a combined office and manufacturing environment, working closely with teams that design, build, and assemble deployable space structures and high-strain composite components. All composites manufacturing and mechanical assembly are performed in-house, providing direct exposure to the full cradle-to-grave product lifecycle—from concept through production and preparation for launch. The position involves regular interaction with production areas, inspection activities, and supplier-facing work such as audits and on-site visits, supporting a hands‑on, engineering-driven culture focused on innovation, reliability, and continuous improvement in space hardware manufacturing.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Loveland, CO.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.87 - $55.29/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 hybrid position in Loveland,CO. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Sep 22, 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.