Title:  Senior Specialist, Quality Engineer

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Quality Engineering

Job Code: 44946

Job Location: Londonderry, NH

Job Schedule: 1st shift - 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

The Senior Specialist, Quality Engineer is responsible for leading and executing quality engineering activities for an assigned program to ensure internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party requirements are clearly defined, communicated, and achieved. This role serves as the primary Quality Engineering resource for the assigned program and provides broad support across production, compliance, testing, change management, metrics, and continuous improvement activities. Drives Program quality execution and interact with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Engineering personnel to maintain high levels of Compliance. Leads material review board and Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA) activities. Serves as the primary interface to customers for quality related matters. This position requires a strong working knowledge of quality systems, manufacturing processes, root cause analysis, and cross-functional problem solving in a production environment.

Essential Functions:

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary Quality Engineering point of contact for an assigned program.
• Provide program-level leadership on quality projects, ensuring requirements are verified, and consistently met or exceeded.
• Lead and coordinate the issuance of Corrective Actions, facilitating root cause analyses and implementation of effective corrective actions for production or system non-conformances, defects, or compliance gaps.
• Lead the review, documentation, investigation, defect categorization and disposition of nonconforming material in coordination with Manufacturing, Engineering, and Material Review Board participants.
• Serve as the primary quality escalation point for Production and Rework-related issues within the program, ensuring timely resolution and effective communication across all stakeholders.
• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives in Quality Engineering, ensuring business alignment across customer, supply base, proposal, program, and hardware requirements.
• Serve as the Quality representative on Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), collaborating with Program Management, Supplier Quality Engineering, and management; present quality updates to leadership on a quarterly basis for assigned program.
• Ensure that program and Site quality goals—including cost, timeliness, and compliance—are met. Analyze Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) data and drive effective solutions to reduce costs and prevent recurrence.
• Continuously enhance production, quality assurance and in-process/final inspection processes, tools, and planning.
• Measure, monitor, report, and improve internal and external process performance, including quality and delivery metrics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Engineering, and Manufacturing to drive improvements in design, manufacturability, test, and inspection requirements, aiming for increased product and integration quality.
• Support product development and design reviews as they pertain to the Program.
• Define verification, validation, and acceptance plans for proposed product design and process changes with consideration for manufacturability, contamination control, quality, and downstream operational impact.
• Participate in and support quality audits, failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective/preventive actions in coordination with internal teams and external suppliers (Where Applicable).
• Develop and utilize advanced risk management tools related to production performance, corrective actions, and recovery plans.
• Contribute to annual operating plans and strategic initiatives for the Quality Assurance function.
• Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA): Leads effort to quantify and reduce risk using this quality tool.
• Interface with customer and program representatives to address quality matters throughout the program lifecycle.
• Execute and support continuous improvement projects specific to Quality Assurance, as assigned by leadership.
• Facilitate DCMA/Customer On-Site Inspections and facilitate direct shipments from IVS-Londonderry, NH as needed.
• Mentor and train new quality engineers and technicians, particularly in your assigned Program or specialization areas.
• Foster and promote best practices, focusing on both quality and on-time delivery performance.
• Ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable internal quality management system requirements and relevant external standards, including ISO 9001 and applicable process requirements.
• Position requires up to 10% travel; when Collaborative Supplier and Program Visits or Customer Support Travel is required. Majority of suppliers are located in the New England region for the Londonderry, NH site.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 6 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience in Supplier Quality Engineering.

Additional Skills:

• Computer skills sufficient to generate reports and analyze data using MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Word software. PowerBi is a plus.
• Experience implementing cost-effective, LEAN inspection/verification methods or Key Characteristics (ref AS9103).
• Experience participating in or leading MRB, CCB, PFMEA, and related quality planning and review activities.
• Familiarity with workmanship, inspection, and defect categorization standards relevant to assembly operations.
• Practical experience in manufacturing, quality, process engineering, or cleanroom operations involving optics, electro-optical systems, tube processing, or precision assembly.
• Experience with Cost of Poor Quality metrics, yield improvement efforts, and continuous improvement projects tied to operational performance targets.
• Experience coordinating production feedback for supplier-related defects and supporting containment and corrective action activities.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems and requirements.
• Experience in Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies is desired.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) certification is desired and may be considered in lieu of Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
• Strong problem-solving and statistical skills including Leading and Facilitating 8D, DOE, SPC, PFMEA, root cause analysis, and corrective action development.
• Proficient in MS Office.
• Proficient in Minitab or similar statistical software, and Microsoft Visio.
• Experience supporting qualification activities, readiness reviews, process validation, and closure of quality actions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across Manufacturing, Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Quality organizations.
• Experience in optics, electro-optical systems, tube processing, cleanroom manufacturing, or precision assembly is a plus.
• QMS audit experience is a plus.
• Excellent communication and teambuilding skills, with the ability to manage relationships with internal and external customers and foster trust and mutual respect.
• Requires strong knowledge of the job area typically obtained through advanced education combined with experience. Typically viewed as having a specialty within the discipline and may have broad knowledge of project management.

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