Quality Engineer

AeroVironment, Inc.; New Mexico; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Quality Engineer to ensure delivered product quality across the lifecycle.

The QE performs quality engineering tasks, solves problems using established methods, and partners with program and product teams to reduce cost and flow disruptions while leading corrective actions for nonconformances. The role supports both customer-facing quality activities and internal product quality, may guide associate quality engineers and technicians, and collaborates with senior

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain quality assurance and quality control plans.
• Define and document quality metrics, basic testing methods, and inspection procedures to support adherence to quality standards throughout the product lifecycle.
• Review manufacturing planning and work instructions to ensure alignment to quality control points and data collection.
• Coordinate day-to-day work with Quality Technicians and inspectors as directed to support inspections and data collection.
• Support basic process capability activities on key characteristics and help maintain Inspection and Quality Plans.
• Independently verify that product acceptance criteria are correctly applied and aligned to documented customer requirements, seeking guidance when criteria are unclear.
• Work with senior engineers in reviewing customer contracts and purchase orders to understand and help flow down quality requirements.
• Provide basic input to design teams on manufacturability and assembly considerations from a quality perspective, drawing on established standards and guidance from senior staff.
• Support risk assessments on designs by gathering data and documenting potential quality and reliability risks identified by more senior engineers.
• Participate in the preparation and maintenance of FMEA documentation and similar risk_analysis tools.
• Participate in Product Readiness Reviews (PRR) and support Final Inspection activities.
• Perform review of engineering specifications to check for the inclusion of required quality and reliability requirements.
• Support quality's contribution to APQP activities by maintaining documentation, tracking deliverables, and helping ensure quality requirements are captured in design and manufacturing processes.
• Provide assistance in implementing quality enhancement strategies and applying workmanship criteria under guidance.
• Support internal and supplier audit activities related to quality management systems, purchasing, contract review, and manufacturing processes.
• Collect and summarize internal and external quality performance data and identify basic trends to support improvement initiatives.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

The Quality Engineer (QE) ensures delivered product quality for our customers and drives effective quality controls across the product lifecycle. In this role, the QE performs a range of technical quality engineering assignments, solves moderately complex problems using established methods and procedures, and partners with program and product teams to reduce cost and flow disruptions, implement visual factory KPIs, and lead problem reporting and corrective actions for nonconformances. The QE supports both customer-facing quality activities and internal product quality and may provide informal guidance to Associate Quality Engineers and Quality Technicians.

Position Responsibilities

Quality Planning and Engineering

• Develop and maintain quality assurance and quality control plans.
• Define and document quality metrics, basic testing methods, and inspection procedures to support adherence to quality standards throughout the product lifecycle.
• Review manufacturing planning and work instructions to ensure alignment to quality control points and data collection.
• Coordinate day-to-day work with Quality Technicians and inspectors as directed to support inspections and data collection.
• Support basic process capability activities on key characteristics and help maintain Inspection and Quality Plans.
• Independently verify that product acceptance criteria are correctly applied and aligned to documented customer requirements, seeking guidance when criteria are unclear.
• Work with senior engineers in reviewing customer contracts and purchase orders to understand and help flow down quality requirements. Support collaboration with customer representatives as requested. Collaborate with engineering teams to understand and apply quality requirements, specifications, and standards for new product development.
• Provide basic input to design teams on manufacturability and assembly considerations from a quality perspective, drawing on established standards and guidance from senior staff.
• Support risk assessments on designs by gathering data and documenting potential quality and reliability risks identified by more senior engineers.
• Participate in the preparation and maintenance of FMEA documentation and similar risk_analysis tools.
• Participate in Product Readiness Reviews (PRR) and support Final Inspection activities (e.g., preparing documentation, collecting data, coordinating with inspectors).
• Perform review of engineering specifications to check for the inclusion of required quality and reliability requirements.
• Support quality's contribution to APQP activities by maintaining documentation, tracking deliverables, and helping ensure quality requirements are captured in design and manufacturing processes.
• Provide assistance in implementing quality enhancement strategies (e.g., updating checklists, work instructions) and applying workmanship criteria under guidance.
• Support internal and supplier audit activities (e.g., collecting objective evidence, documenting findings, tracking closure) related to quality management systems, purchasing, contract review, and manufacturing processes.
• Collect and summarize internal and external quality performance data and identify basic trends to support improvement initiatives.

Defect Management and Corrective Action

• Document and track defects in the Quality Management System, prioritizing issues based on defined criteria, and work with engineering and operations teams to track corrective actions to closure.
• Support investigations into product and process nonconformances, field issues, and test escapes by gathering data, reproducing issues, and applying basic problem_solving tools (e.g., 5_Why, fishbone diagrams) under the guidance of more experienced engineers.
• Organize and Participate in the Material Review Board (MRB) process for nonconforming product by preparing MRB packages, recording dispositions, and ensuring documentation is complete and accurate.
• Support cross_functional MRB meetings (Quality, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain) by documenting discussions, recording actions, and tracking completion of assigned tasks.
• Monitor and update MRB and disposition metrics (e.g., defect counts, cycle time) and provide summarized reports to help identify opportunities to reduce nonconformance.
• Facilitate corrective action and failure analysis activities by collecting data, organizing test results, and helping track action item status to ensure timely closure.
• Review basic data analysis and statistical summaries (e.g., Pareto charts, control charts with guidance) to help identify trends and improvement opportunities.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline and a minimum