Sr. Quality Engineer, Amazon Leo

Socket.dev; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon is seeking a Sr. Quality Engineer to own the end-to-end non-conformance lifecycle for PCB and mechanical part receiving inspection, ensuring fast, accurate disposition and systemic improvements to protect satellite production schedules.

You will drive containment, corrective action, and supplier development, collaborating with design, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to prevent recurrence and improve throughput while upholding AS9100 and ISO standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, or supplier quality within automotive, medical, aerospace, defense, or high-reliability hardware production.
• Experience managing non-conformances through the full lifecycle (identification, investigation, disposition, corrective action, closure)
• Experience with Material Review Board processes and material disposition decisions
• Experience with root cause analysis methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, or equivalent)
• Experience with quality management systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, or equivalent)

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end QN lifecycle in SAP from identification, containment, root cause investigation, disposition, execution, through verified closure
• Exercise direct disposition authority (scrap, rework, no defect) and drive elevated dispositions (Use-As-Is, Repair) through the Material Review Board with cross-functional engineering partners
• Develop and document root cause corrective actions using structured methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) ensuring corrective actions address systemic causes, not just symptoms
• Manage non-conformance backlog and cycle times to meet SLA compliance targets, prioritizing based on production impact and material criticality
• Track and drive resolution of aged nonconforming material to prevent accumulation in quality hold status
• Lead containment and corrective action activities with suppliers when receiving inspection identifies nonconforming material
• Collaborate directly with suppliers to strengthen their outgoing quality, detection methods, and process controls to prevent recurrence at the source
• Requests (SCARs) and track supplier response effectiveness
• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering to elevate systemic supplier performance issues and inform supplier development strategies
• Own and report receiving quality KPIs including Defects Per Unit, SLA Compliance, First Pass Yield, and Cycle Time through weekly and monthly business reviews
• Perform trend analysis and Pareto of NC data to identify top contributing suppliers, defect categories, and repeat failure modes
• Translate NC data into actionable insights for leadership, engineering, and supply chain stakeholders
• Monitor and communicate path-to-green when metrics fall below targets
• Develop systemic process improvements to reduce non-conformance volume and improve receiving throughput
• Refine inspection criteria and acceptance standards based on NC trend data and engineering feedback
• Develop pre-approved dispositions for known, recurring conditions to accelerate NC cycle time
• Build supplier qualification strategies based on demonstrated supplier performance
• Support New Product Introduction from a receiving quality perspective, ensuring inspection readiness for new or changed parts
• Serve as the primary quality representative for receiving inspection non-conformances
• Work directly with Receiving Inspection, Supplier Quality, Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to resolve non-conformances
• Provide quality engineering support to inspectors on defect identification, acceptance criteria interpretation, and NC documentation standards
• Collaborate with fellow MQEs and PSQEs to share learnings and improve mechanisms across the business
• Communicate and present quality status, risks, and improvement plans to leadership
• Serve as subject matter expert for SAP QM as it relates to receiving inspection non-conformance workflows and quality record management
• Ensure NC processes comply with AS9100 quality management system requirements
• Develop and maintain NC categorization standards to ensure consistent defect coding and accurate reporting
• Perform audit activities to verify NC process compliance and closure effectiveness

Skills

Non-conformance management

SAP QM

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Quality or related field

Tools

SAP QM module

IPC/AS9100 knowledge

Job description

Have you ever wanted to be part of a team who is building industry changing technology? Amazon Leo is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband network connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

We are looking for a Sr. Quality Engineer who will own the end-to-end non-conformance (QN) lifecycle for PCB and mechanical part receiving inspection, from identification and immediate containment through disposition, root cause corrective action, and verified closure, driving resolution at the speed and scale required to protect satellite production schedules.

This role carries direct disposition authority for nonconforming material (scrap, rework, no defect) and collaborates with Engineering and Manufacturing on elevated dispositions (Use-As-Is, Repair) through the Material Review Board process. Beyond resolving individual QNs, this engineer will drive supplier quality improvement by leading containment, corrective action, and collaborative engagement with suppliers to strengthen their detection and prevention capabilities, ensuring nonconforming material does not reach the production floor and that systemic issues are resolved at the source. On the preventive side, this role will develop systemic process improvements (including inspection criteria refinement, pre-approved disposition development, and supplier qualification strategies) to reduce non-conformance recurrence and improve receiving throughput.

The ideal candidate is a systems thinker with excellent analytical abilities, strong technical skills in non-conformance management and SAP QM, effective written and verbal communication, and most importantly, a passion for driving rapid defect resolution while building the mechanisms that prevent issues from recurring, delivering mission-critical hardware to the production line on time and at the highest quality standards.

Export Control Requirement: Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Key job responsibilities

Non-Conformance Lifecycle Management

• Own the end-to-end QN lifecycle in SAP from identification, containment, root cause investigation, disposition, execution, through verified closure
• Exercise direct disposition authority (scrap, rework, no defect) and drive elevated dispositions (Use-As-Is, Repair) through the Material Review Board with cross-functional engineering partners
• Develop and document root cause corrective actions using structured methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) ensuring corrective actions address systemic causes, not just symptoms
• Manage non-conformance backlog and cycle times to meet SLA compliance targets, prioritizing based on production impact and material criticality
• Track and drive resolution of aged nonconforming material to prevent accumulation in quality hold status

Supplier Quality Improvement

• Lead containment and corrective action activities with suppliers when receiving inspection identifies nonconforming material
• Collaborate directly with suppliers to strengthen their outgoing quality, detection methods, and process controls to prevent recurrence at the source

Initiate and manage Supplier Corrective Action

• Requests (SCARs) and track supplier response effectiveness
• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering to elevate systemic supplier performance issues and inform supplier development strategies

Data Analysis and Metrics Ownership

• Own and report receiving quality KPIs including Defects Per Unit, SLA Compliance, First Pass Yield, and Cycle Time through weekly and monthly business reviews
• Perform trend analysis and Pareto of NC data to identify top contributing suppliers, defect categories, and repeat failure modes
• Translate NC data into actionable insights for leadership, engineering, and supply chain stakeholders
• Monitor and communicate path-to-green when metrics fall below targets

Process Improvement and Prevention

• Develop systemic process improvements to reduce non-conformance volume and improve receiving throughput
• Refine inspection criteria and acceptance standards based on NC trend data and engineering feedback
• Develop pre-approved dispositions for known, recurring conditions to accelerate NC cycle time
• Build supplier qualification strategies (reduced inspection, skip-lot, source inspection qualification) based on demonstrated supplier performance
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) from a receiving quality perspective, ensuring inspection readiness for new or changed parts

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary quality representative for receiving inspection non-conformances
• Work directly with Receiving Inspection, Supplier Quality, Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to resolve non-conformances
• Provide quality engineering support to inspectors on defect identification, acceptance criteria interpretation, and NC documentation standards
• Collaborate with fellow MQEs and PSQEs to share learnings and improve mechanisms across the business
• Communicate and present quality status, risks, and improvement plans to leadership

Systems and Compliance

• Serve as subject matter expert for SAP QM as it relates to receiving inspection non-conformance workflows and quality record management
• Ensure NC processes comply with AS9100 quality management system requirements
• Develop and maintain NC categorization standards to ensure consistent defect coding and accurate reporting
• Perform audit activities to verify NC process compliance and closure effectiveness

About the team

Here at Amazon, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. Amazon has ten employee-led affinity groups, reaching 40,000 employees in over 190 chapters globally. We have innovative benefit offerings, and host annual and ongoing learning experiences. Amazon’s culture of inclusion is reinforced within our 16 Leadership Principles, which remind team members to seek diverse perspectives, learn and be curious, and earn trust.

At Amazon, our mission is to be the most customer-centric company on Earth. To get there, we need exceptionally talented, bright and driven people. We're dedicated to supporting new team members. Our team has a broad mix of experience levels and Amazon tenures, and we’re building an environment that celebrates knowledge sharing and mentorship.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or related technical discipline
• 5+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, or supplier quality within automotive, medical, aerospace, defense, or high-reliability hardware production
• Experience managing non-conformances through the full lifecycle (identification, investigation, disposition, corrective action, closure)
• Experience with Material Review Board processes and material disposition decisions
• Experience with root cause analysis methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, or equivalent)
• Experience with quality management systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, or equivalent)

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, or supplier quality within automotive, medical, aerospace, defense, or high-reliability hardware production
• Experience with SAP QM module (Quality Notifications, inspection lots, material status management)
• Knowledge of electronics and harness inspection standards (IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620)
• Knowledge of mechanical and material acceptance standards (ASTM, AMS, AS9102) for machined parts, panels, and COTS hardware
• GD&T proficiency per ASME Y14.5 for mechanical part disposition decisions
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or equivalent professional certification
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
• Experience in satellite, launch vehicle, or aerospace production environments
• Experience developing or improving non-conformance management systems at scale (high volume, multiple product lines)
• Familiarity with APQP tools (PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC)
• Experience with statistical analysis and data visualization tools for quality metrics reporting
• Strong understanding of supply chain dynamics and supplier development practices

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Everett - 137,300.00 - 185,700.00 USD annually