Staff Engineer, Quality Assurance (R5358)

Job Description:

Shield AI is seeking a Quality Engineer to support the development, inspection, execution, and continuous improvement of the X-BAT program. This fast-paced role is responsible for ensuring weapons system hardware, assemblies, suppliers, manufacturing processes, test processes, and final products meet engineering requirements and quality standards.

You will work closely with test operations, manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, program management, and suppliers to identify quality risks, resolve nonconformances, improve processes, and deliver reliable mission critical operations.

What you'll do:

• Support quality planning, inspections, readiness, and acceptance activities for the weapons system and subsystems
• Review engineering drawings, specifications, work instructions, inspection plans, and acceptance criteria
• Develop and maintain quality documentation, including inspection plans, control plans, first article inspections, nonconformance reports, corrective actions, and quality records
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action efforts for manufacturing defects, supplier issues, test failures, process/procedure failures, and any other quality concerns
• Support material review board activities, disposition of nonconforming material, and implementation of containment actions
• Work with manufacturing and engineering teams to build, process capability, and product reliability
• Analyze quality data, defect trends, performance, and escape rates to identify improvement opportunities
• Participate in supplier quality activities, including issue resolution, corrective actions, and quality flow-down requirements
• Ensure compliance with applicable aerospace, defense, customer, and internal quality requirements
• Promote a culture of safety, compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in science, Engineering, Technology, and Math (STEM), Quality Engineering or related field, or similar experience levels supporting developmental test operations.
• 5-10 years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned/manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
• Experience in quality engineering, ground and flight test execution, maintenance, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, production support, or aerospace hardware
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials, work instructions, and inspection requirements
• Proven experience with nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action, trend analysis, and quality documentation
• Familiarity with inspection methods, measurement tools, and manufacturing processes used in aerospace or complex hardware integration and development test environments
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, test operations, supply chain, and program leadership
• Maintains liaison with manufacturing, engineering, material management, suppliers to resolve quality problems
• Detail-oriented approach with a strong commitment to product quality and process discipline
• Ability to work in a fast-paced ground and flight test environment
• Willingness to travel and work outdoors at test ranges and other program requirements
• Overtime and weekend coverage as required

Preferred qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
• Knowledge of AS9100, ISO9001, FAA, DoW, and other aerospace and defense quality standards
• Experience with first acritical inspections
• Experience supporting protype aircraft, weapon systems, or mission critical aerospace systems
• Familiarity with configuration management, drawing release processes, and engineering change processes
• Experience using quality tools such as 8D, 5 Why’s, Fishbone diagrams, FMEA, control plans, or process capability analysis
• Certified Quality Engineer, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or related certification