Sr. Quality Assurance Engineer

Nextern; Maple Grove (MN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement Plan with Company Match

Paid Time Off

Birthday Holiday

Wellness Resources

Life Insurance

Family Leave

Disability Insurance

Job summary

Nextern is seeking a Quality Assurance Engineer in Minnesota to drive quality input across the product lifecycle, from development to manufacturing readiness and post-market activities. You will author SOPs, support audits, and ensure DHF compliance.

The role emphasizes CAPAs, nonconformances, root cause analysis, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to maintain compliance with 21 CFR 820, ISO 13485, and ISO 14971.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in quality assurance within a medical device development setting.
• Experience with 21 CFR 820 and ISO 13485 quality systems.
• Experience as a development team member on complex medical device programs.
• Understanding of ISO 14971 risk management in product development.
• Proven leadership and strong communication across disciplines.
• Experience with PLM software (Windchill, Agile, Propel) and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Author and approve SOPs, work instructions, and forms; support audits and inspection readiness.
• Compile and trend quality metrics; present insights and drive CAPA implementation.
• Oversee incoming inspection; disposition nonconforming materials; coordinate supplier actions.
• Provide QA oversight for IQ/OQ/PQ qualification activities; review protocols and change orders.
• Manage nonconformances and CAPAs from initiation through effectiveness, including root cause analysis.
• Act as QA point of contact for production; review batch records for GMP compliance.
• Support line clearances, first-article inspections, and process change reviews.
• Draft and approve product and engineering work orders; maintain DHF.
• Guide project teams in QA/Regulatory best practices; document changes and impacts.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Regulatory knowledge

Risk management

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences

Tools

Windchill

Agile PLM

Propel

MS Office

Job description

Please note - No sponsorship or transfer of sponsorship is available for this role, including but not limited to OPT and H-1B

At Nextern, we inspire with passion, impact with significance, and act with integrity. Nextern partners with OEMs, clinicians, and innovators to design, develop, and manufacture world-class medical devices across the full product lifecycle. From single-use disposables to fully integrated systems to precision components, our teams work as an extension of yours to solve patient needs and improve lives worldwide.

This role is responsible for operational quality input and deliverables for manufacturing programs throughout the product lifecycle. Quality Assurance Engineers will also support development activities as they prepare to launch into commercial manufacturing, such as manufacturing readiness, audits, and clinical builds to ensure a smooth transition and continuously accurate and compliant Design History File. All engineering functions are responsible for compliance with the Quality System and relevant regulations and standards, continuous improvement, and as needed, professional interaction with Nextern Customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Author and approve SOPs, work instructions, and forms. Support internal audits and maintain inspection readiness across the quality system.
• Compile and trend quality metrics to identify systemic issues. Present actionable insights to leadership and drive implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Oversee incoming inspection per approved sampling plans. Disposition nonconforming materials and coordinate supplier corrective actions to address recurring quality issues.
• Provide quality oversight for IQ/OQ/PQ qualification activities. Review and approve protocols, reports, and change orders. Evaluate regulatory impact of equipment changes prior to implementation.
• Manage nonconformances and CAPAs from initiation through effectiveness verification. Lead root cause analysis using structured methods (5-Why, fishbone). Trend data and report findings at management review.
• Act as the quality point of contact for production.
• Review batch records and travelers for GMP compliance.
• Support line clearances, first-article inspections, and process change reviews.
• Draft, collaborate, and approve product and engineering work orders.
• Create and maintain up-to-date product Design History Files (DHF).
• Advise project teams and lead by example in best-practices for Quality and Regulatory Compliance.
• Own, review, and approve changes ensuring impacts and resulting action/implementation (or lack thereof) are properly documented and executed.
• Receive, investigate, and document product complaints, interacting with customers as applicable.
• Support audits as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for QMS processes and product DHFs.
• Drive Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) architecture and changes, as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree (BS) in life science discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in Quality Assurance role in a medical device development environment
• Experience working in quality systems as defined in 21 CFR 820 and ISO 13485.
• Development project team member on complex medical device development programs, including systems
• Understanding of ISO 14971 and application of risk management to product development and processes.
• Demonstrated technical expertise and leadership in quality.
• High attention to detail, organization, and accuracy.
• Instinctual capability for creative thinking and proposing novel solutions
• Strong ability to communicate (written and verbally) within and across disciplines and organization structures.
• Demonstrated use of quality tools and methodologies (e.g. nonconformance, CAPAs, root cause analysis, etc..).
• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software (e.g Windchill, Agile, Propel)
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with MS Office Suit (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Outlook).

Preferred:

• Familiarity with statistical software, such as Minitab, preferred.

Salary range: $100,000 to $135,000 depending on skills and experience

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Time Off, Personal Days, AND Birthday Holiday!
• Lifetime Membership Subsidy and Wellness Resources
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Taco Thursdays!!!

Nexternis an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.