Quality Engineer II Composites

Firefly Aerospace; Briggs (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Relocation assistance

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Quality Engineer to develop and maintain inspection plans, lead inspectors, and ensure product conformance for flight hardware and software. This on-site role at the Briggs, TX facility emphasizes collaboration across design, engineering, and production teams to drive reliability and cost improvements.

Qualified candidates will have a mechanical engineering background with aerospace quality standards experience and a track record in GD&T, inspections, and root

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role.
• Ability to interpret technical information, develop technical instructions, and understand: technical drawings, specifications, GD&T, and related quality control documentation and standards.
• Experience with standards and/or equivalent quality, military, or government standards in the aerospace industry.
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and written.
• Flexibility regarding workflow and process.
• Excellent organization skills. Willingness to work with a team, share expertise, and follow instructions to accomplish established goals.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to develop quality plans for flight products, including key characteristic identification and inspection planning.
• Develop and maintain inspection plans and standard work instructions for launch vehicle components and sub-assemblies.
• Ensure accurate and efficient product acceptance in alignment with customer and regulatory standards.
• Generate records for traceability and pedigree of customer-deliverable products.
• Lead and support Quality Inspectors in workflow, efficiency, and best practices.
• Identify and document non-conformances affecting product reliability and production efficiency.
• Collect, track, and analyze production data on first-pass yield and non-conformance issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve non-conformance and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and execute quarantine plans for non-conforming products.
• Maintain tool control and calibration processes, including validation of metrology systems.
• Perform periodic product and process audits to ensure compliance with the Firefly Quality Management System.
• Implement standards, tools, and methods to ensure the effectiveness of quality processes and sustain improvements.
• Execute projects and process improvements to reduce Cost of Poor Quality.
• Review designs and procedures to mitigate manufacturability and inspection challenges.
• Ensure compliance with external standards and regulations.
• Participate in technical operations and offer guidance as a technical engineering resource.
• Initiate and execute plans to improve product quality, reliability, and inspection efficiency.
• Apply 6S workplace organization and Lean initiatives.
• Support manufacturing compliance to meet contractual and mission requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Quality assurance principles

Aerospace manufacturing

GD&T interpretation

Blueprints/drawings

Statistical methods

Root cause analysis

Lean/6S

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

AS9100/ISO 9001 familiarity

Job description

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

Quality Assurance owns the processes and tools by which Firefly identifies, contains, eliminates, and prevents non-conformances. Quality is charged with defining and maintaining the processes and tools which prove product capabilities meet requirements and result in a predictably economical and reliable product.

The Firefly Quality Engineer is responsible for the development and maintenance of processes, equipment, and plans for inspection and acceptance of qualification and flight hardware and software products. They are responsible for containment, root cause analysis, and corrective actions - in addition to periodic auditing - to ensure products are reliable and economical. Verifying that all key performance and design characteristics are met prior to launch, Quality Engineers play a critical role in ensuring mission success. _ This position is located at our Production and Test facility north of Cedar Park in Briggs, TX. _

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to develop quality plans for flight products, including key characteristic identification, development testing, inspection planning, and lessons learned.
• Develop and maintain inspection plans and standard work instructions for launch vehicle/spacecraft components and sub-assemblies, ensuring consistent, repeatable products.
• Ensure accurate and efficient product acceptance in alignment with customer and regulatory standards.
• Generate records for traceability and pedigree of customer-deliverable products.
• Lead and support Quality Inspectors in workflow, efficiency, and best practices.
• Identify and document non-conformances affecting product reliability and production efficiency.
• Collect, track, and analyze production data on first-pass yield and non-conformance issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve non-conformance or quality issues and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and execute quarantine plans for non-conforming products.
• Maintain tool control and calibration processes, including validation of metrology systems.
• Perform periodic product and process audits to ensure compliance with the Firefly Quality Management System.
• Implement standards, tools, and methods to ensure the effectiveness of quality processes and sustain improvements.
• Execute projects and process improvements to reduce Cost of Poor Quality.
• Review designs and procedures to mitigate manufacturability and inspection challenges.
• Ensure compliance with external standards and regulations.
• Participate in technical operations and offer guidance as a technical engineering resource.
• Initiate and execute plans to improve product quality, reliability, and inspection efficiency.
• Apply 6S workplace organization and follow Lean initiatives.
• Support manufacturing compliance to meet contractual and mission requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry)
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role
• Demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals, interpret technical information, develop technical instructions, and understand: technical drawings, specifications, GD&T, and related quality control documentation and standards.
• Experience with standards and/or equivalent quality, military, or government standards in the aerospace industry.
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and written.
• Flexibility regarding workflow and process.
• Excellent organization skills. Willingness to work with a team, share expertise, and follow instructions to accomplish established goals.

Desired

• Demonstrated experience applying quality assurance principles, methods, and processes - including inspection techniques, equipment, and tools used in quality control.
• Comprehensive understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, materials, and specifications.
• Demonstrated competency in structures/composites, electrical/avionics, and fluids/propulsion disciplines.
• Full capability to read and understand blueprints, drawings GD&T, and Model-Based Definitions.
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches
• Demonstrated experience with application of aerospace quality standards such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
• ASQ CQE

Primary Level Salary Range:

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, relocation benefits, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.