Product Assurance Specialist

We are seeking a motivated Product Assurance Specialist to support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Safety & Mission Assurance activities across our satellite programs. This role is ideal for an mid-career professional looking to build expertise in design assurance, safety, reliability, quality, and mission assurance in the space industry while taking ownership of key process development and continuous improvement initiatives.

The successful candidate will work closely with S&MA, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program teams to ensure products meet customer, program, and mission requirements throughout the program lifecycle. The role represents an independent technical authority throughout the development cycle and combines hands-on product assurance activities in the design cycle with process development and continuous improvement responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Assurance & Quality Activities

• • Lead product assurance activities throughout satellite design, development, assembly, integration, testing, and delivery
  • Review design, manufacturing, assembly, and test documentation for compliance with established requirements and procedures
  • Participate in inspections, audits, reviews, and acceptance activities
  • Lead non-conformance and deviation/waiver reporting and resolution, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and preventive actions
  • Participate in risk identification, triage, and mitigation activities related to product quality and mission success
  • Guide configuration management and traceability activities for hardware and documentation
  • Monitor quality metrics and assist in generating program quality reports and dashboards

  • Process Development & Ownership

    • Develop, document, maintain, and improve product assurance processes, procedures, work instructions, and templates
    • Act as the process owner for assigned product and quality assurance workflows, ensuring documentation remains current and effective
    • Identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for continuous improvement
    • Lead small-scale process improvement projects from definition through implementation and verification
    • Coordinate stakeholder reviews and approvals of process documentation
    • Ensure quality management system requirements are effectively integrated into day-to-day operations

    Supplier & Manufacturing Quality Support

    • Support supplier quality activities, including documentation reviews, nonconformance management, and issue resolution
    • Assist in tracking supplier non-conformances and corrective actions
    • Participate in manufacturing readiness and production quality reviews
    • Support incoming inspection and hardware acceptance activities as required

    Cross-Functional Collaboration

    • Work closely with engineering teams to ensure product assurance, reliability, and quality requirements are incorporated into designs, processes, and operations
    • Support project teams during design reviews, test readiness reviews, and milestone reviews
    • Provide guidance on product assurance, configuration management, and risk management procedures and best practices to internal stakeholders
    • Foster a culture of safety, assurance, reliability, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 4+ years of experience in design assurance, quality assurance, product assurance within a manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or a related technical environment
• Understanding of quality management principles and process-based quality systems
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and follow activities through to completion

Bonus Points:

• Experience in aerospace, satellite systems, spaceflight systems, electronics manufacturing, or highly regulated industries
• Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, ECSS, NASA, IEC, or other aerospace quality standards
• Experience leading non-conformance management and corrective action processes
• Knowledge of root cause analysis methodologies and continuous improvement techniques
• Experience developing procedures, work instructions, or quality documentation
• Familiarity with configuration management and product lifecycle management systems