About the role
***Active DoD Security Clearance Preferred***
***US Citizenship Required***
***NO VISA SUPPORT or C2C***
Primary Function
Long Wave Inc. is seeking a Senior Principal Quality Engineer – Program Quality Assurance (PRQA) to support program execution, contractual quality compliance, and Quality Management System (QMS) activities within an aerospace and defense environment.
Essential Responsibilities
Program Quality Assurance & Contractual Compliance
* Serve as lead PRQA for assigned programs, providing quality oversight throughout program development, production, testing, integration, and acceptance. * Review and analyze contracts, Statements of Work (SOW), Supplier Quality Assurance Requirements (SQAR), purchase orders, specifications, and other customer requirements to identify quality obligations, compliance gaps, and risks. * Develop and maintain program quality plans, contractual quality requirements matrices, compliance documentation, and associated program quality records. * Identify contractual quality concerns and coordinate recommended clarifications, exceptions, or resolutions with Contracts, Program Management, and other responsible organizations. * Coordinate with program and functional teams to ensure quality requirements are incorporated into program planning, schedules, technical activities, and deliverables. * Review technical documentation, design changes, inspection and test requirements, and contractual deliverables for applicable quality compliance. * Support program design reviews, technical reviews, production readiness activities, verification, testing, and customer acceptance. * Coordinate applicable First Article Inspection (FAI), source inspection, product verification, and acceptance requirements with responsible functional organizations. * Support supplier quality oversight, contractual quality flowdowns, nonconformance resolution, and corrective action activities in coordination with Supply Chain Management and Hardware Quality Assurance. * Review and coordinate Quality Assurance inputs and approvals for contractual deliverables, including applicable SDRLs/CDRLs. * Identify, document, communicate, and track program quality risks, nonconformances, corrective actions, and compliance concerns through resolution. * Support nonconformance reporting, Material Review Board (MRB) activities, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes. * Interface with customer and government quality representatives to support program reviews, inspections, audits, and quality issue resolution. * Develop and report program quality metrics, compliance status, risks, trends, and corrective action performance. * Serve as QA Control Account Manager (CAM) for assigned program, supporting budget and resource planning, ETC/EAC forecasting, cost and schedule performance monitoring, variance analysis, and applicable EVMS reporting requirements.
Senior Technical Quality Leadership
* Serve as a senior technical resource for complex aerospace and defense quality engineering, customer quality requirements, and compliance matters across the organization. * Provide technical guidance and recommendations to Quality Assurance, Engineering, Program Management, Operations, Supply Chain Management, and other functional organizations. * Lead or support complex cross-functional quality investigations, risk assessments, and improvement initiatives. * Evaluate existing quality processes, systems, and controls; recommend and implement improvements to strengthen compliance, effectiveness, and operational performance. * Provide technical mentoring, coaching, and knowledge transfer to quality personnel and other functional stakeholders. * Advise Quality leadership on complex quality concerns, technical risks, and opportunities for improvement.
QMS Compliance & Continuous Improvement
* Support implementation, sustainment, and continual improvement of the AS9100/ISO 9001 Quality Management System. * Support QMS process improvements, digital quality management applications, and associated workflows, including TipQA/TipSFE, as assigned. * Participate in internal, customer, and certification audits, including objective evidence reviews, corrective actions, and follow-up activities. * Support integration of program-specific contractual quality requirements into established QMS processes and controls. * Perform other assigned QA and QMS support activities based on department priorities.
Work Conditions
* Remote or on-site work arrangement based on business needs and position requirements. * Occasional travel may be required in support of program, customer, supplier, QMS, audit, or inspection activities. * Remote employees must be able to perform assigned duties and access authorized company systems in accordance with company and contractual requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
* U.S. Citizenship required. * Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline with a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience; graduate degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or 16 years of directly related experience in lieu of a degree. * Mastery-level knowledge of quality engineering, program quality assurance, contractual quality requirements, and related disciplines. * Extensive experience in aerospace, defense, or similarly regulated industries performing quality engineering, program quality assurance, or related quality functions. * Demonstrated experience reviewing, interpreting, and implementing complex contractual, customer, technical, and regulatory quality requirements. * Advanced knowledge of AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems and applicable aerospace/defense quality practices. * Experience developing or implementing program quality plans, contractual requirements matrices, compliance verification activities, and associated quality documentation. * Demonstrated ability to independently assess complex quality issues, identify compliance risks, recommend solutions, and coordinate resolution across functional organizations. * Experience with nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action, and quality risk management. * Ability to provide technical leadership, influence stakeholders, and communicate complex quality matters with management, customers, and cross-functional teams. * Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
* Direct experience serving as a lead Program Quality Engineer or Program Quality Assurance representative supporting aerospace/defense programs. * Experience supporting major defense contractors, Department of Defense programs, or government contractual quality requirements. * Experience performing detailed contractual quality requirements analysis, developing compliance matrices, and establishing program-specific quality controls. * Experience with AS9102 First Article Inspection, customer/government source inspection, product acceptance, and supplier quality requirements. * Knowledge of AS9145/APQP/PPAP, configuration management, engineering change control, and technical data requirements. * Experience supporting complex quality investigations, RCCA/CAPA activities, and cross-functional process improvement initiatives. * Experience implementing, sustaining, or improving AS9100-certified Quality Management Systems. * Experience implementing or supporting electronic QMS applications, including TipQA, TipSFE, or similar systems. * Experience with CAM, program budgeting, ETC/EAC forecasting, or Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) in a DoD program environment. * ASQ or other relevant professional Quality certification, including CQE, CQA, CRE, CMQ/OE, or equivalent. * Demonstrated experience providing technical mentoring and guidance to quality engineering personnel. * Active or previously held Secret security clearance.
Position Benefits:
As a full-time employee of Long Wave, you are eligible for our benefits package including:
* Competitive Salary * Medical, Dental & Vision coverage * 401k * Educational Assistance * Life Insurance * Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions * Paid Time Off * This position’s standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.
EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability
Originally posted on Himalayas