Senior Product Assurance Engineer

SES Satellites; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SES Satellites is seeking a Senior Product Assurance Engineer for Spacecraft Programmes to provide resident QA engineering support across satellite procurement programs, including participation in design, test and failure reviews. You will be based on the spacecraft manufacturer's premises and provide day-to-day QA support to ensure satellites meet quality standards.

The role requires 5+ years in space systems quality assurance, with 80–100% onsite work, a willingness to travel up to 30%

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace or systems engineering.
• 5+ years of product assurance satellite engineering experience.
• Understanding of satellite manufacturing quality control and processes.
• Ability to work with manufacturer and program team.
• Experience with spacecraft supplier and AIT environment.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Willingness to obtain security clearance.
• Ability to work independently in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day product assurance engineering support to the satellite program.
• Participate in design reviews, test reviews, and failure reviews.
• Oversee spacecraft design, assembly, integration, and launch readiness.
• Ensure contract requirements are flowed down to subsystems.
• Support anomaly investigations and corrective actions.
• Provide 24/7 on-call support during spacecraft testing.
• Travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

Skills

Satellite product assurance

Quality control

Design reviews

Test reviews

Anomaly investigations

Technical communication

Education

Master’s/ PhD in Aerospace or Systems Engineering

Job description

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

Requisition Number: 20443

Contract Type: Permanent

Location(s): Sterling, VA, US

Senior Product Assurance Engineer

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

Role Description

As the Senior Product Assurance Engineer, Spacecraft Programmes, you will be responsible for providing resident product assurance engineering support to all phases of the satellite procurement programs which includes participation the Design Reviews, test reviews and failure reviews as well as meticulous oversight throughout all phases of the spacecraft Design, Assembly, Integration, and Launch Campaign. You will be part of the SES Resident Field Office Team located at spacecraft manufacturer premises. You will provide day to day product assurance engineering support to the satellite program and ensure satellite meets required quality standards at all levels as well as provide support to the Field Office Program Manager on investigations, resolutions and corrective actions meeting quality standards.

In this role, you will be responsible to :

• Provide day to day product assurance engineering support to the satellite program;
• Ensure satellites meet required quality standards at all levels;
• Ensure contract requirements are flown down to subcontractors, subsystem and system requirements;
• Support component and system design reviews, test activities, data reviews, anomaly investigations and resolutions;
• Provide rigorous oversight and enforcement of contract requirements, identify shortfalls and corrective actions;
• Perform Mandatory Inspection Points as necessary for the program;
• Provide summary of daily activities and technical status including recommended actions to functional manager;
• Support the tracking, resolution and closure of unit and system level problem reports.
• Provide support during single line flow.
• Participate in design, test readiness, material and failure review meetings at manufacturer sub- and prime-contractor facilities as needed
• Critically examine the anomaly investigation results to root cause analysis and verify corrective actions are implemented
• Monitor daily activities at spacecraft manufacturer facilities
• Provide oversight of activities at Manufacturer and Subcontractor facilities as needed
• Perform inspections and reviews as needed
• Review design, manufacturing and test documentation
• Ensure the program action items are adequately addressed and closed
• Provide summary reports of issues and recommended actions
• Provide 24/7 on-call support during spacecraft testing and single line flow
• Support launch site activities in preparation for launch
• Support the operational team during LEOP critical activities or in case of anomaly

COMPETENCIES

• High level knowledge in satellite subsystems and ability to challenge industry expert in their field
• Self-Starter with a high level of personal accountability
• Prioritization
• Team Player
• Demonstrated influencing and negotiation skills
• A willingness to be self-critical, continuously improves skills, learn from mistakes, acts within her or his circle of competence and knows their boundaries

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering or related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in product assurance satellite engineering, mission assurance and/or satellite manufacturing field.
• Have a thorough understanding of the satellite manufacturing: quality control and product assurance, processes and procedures, spacecraft handling, inspection, integration and test;
• Ability to work on day-to-day issues with manufacturer and program team;
• Experience working with a spacecraft supplier and in AIT environment
• Good knowledge of space product and quality assurance processes
• Agile, flexible and able to work across a geographically distributed team
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong ability in persuasive and diplomatic communication to inspire collaboration and drive collective goal achievement
• Highly organized, capable of tracking multiple streams of critical activities at once
• Project/execution orientation: able to drive initiatives, handle schedule/criticality
• Eligibility to obtain security clearance
• Strong ability to work independently and with limited supervision in complex environments, including multi-stakeholder projects
• Flexibility and adaptability in response to evolving project requirements and dynamic environments
• Ability to think strategically and align project goals with organizational objectives
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal

Other Key Requirements / Comments

• Willing to work at least 80% onsite from office, preferably 100%.
• Willingness to travel (supplier visits) - 30% domestic and international travel

SES and its Affiliated Companies are committed to providing fair and equal employment opportunities to all. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.

Nearest Major Market

Washington DC