Quality Control Inspector

Eleven Recruiting is searching for a Quality Control Inspector II to join one of our aerospace and defense manufacturing clients supporting government and defense composite programs onsite in Santa Ana, California. This role supports U.S. Government–funded programs and requires candidates to be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
The Quality Control Inspector II will play a critical, hands-on role in ensuring the quality, integrity, and compliance of advanced composite aerospace components, including filament-wound structures, hand-layup parts, and bonded assemblies. This position is responsible for performing receiving, in-process, and final inspections to verify conformance with engineering drawings, customer requirements, and aerospace quality standards within an AS9100 and ITAR-controlled environment.
Responsibilities:

• Perform receiving, in-process, and final inspections on composite and mechanical components to ensure conformance to drawings, travelers, and customer specifications.
• Inspect filament-wound, hand-layup, and bonded composite parts, verifying ply orientation, fiber placement, bond lines, cure requirements, and dimensional accuracy.
• Interpret engineering drawings, travelers, and GD&T to validate product compliance.
• Utilize a wide range of precision measuring instruments, including calipers, micrometers, height gages, and advanced inspection systems as required.
• Generate and review First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs) in accordance with AS9102.
• Document and process nonconformances (NCRs) and support root cause and corrective action activities.
• Verify material traceability, certifications, shelf-life control, and process documentation for composite materials, resins, and adhesives.
• Support customer source inspections, internal audits, and external regulatory or government audits.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality teams to resolve quality issues and support continuous improvement.
• Maintain strict compliance with ITAR, export control, and security requirements.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in aerospace or manufacturing inspection.
• Hands-on experience inspecting composite aerospace components strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100 quality systems and aerospace inspection practices.
• Proficiency in blueprint reading and GD&T interpretation.
• Experience using precision measurement tools, including calipers, micrometers, height gages, and other dimensional inspection equipment.
• Experience with portable CMM / articulated arm inspection systems such as ROMER Arm, and related inspection software including PC-DMIS, Verisurf, and/or PolyWorks.
• Demonstrated experience preparing and reviewing AS9102 First Article Inspection Reports.
• Strong understanding of configuration control, material traceability, and lot-level documentation for government aerospace hardware.
• Experience maintaining accurate, audit-ready documentation in support of customer, regulatory, and government acceptance.
• Familiarity with nonconformance reporting (NCRs), corrective action processes, and audit support.
• Experience working in classified or controlled aerospace programs requiring strict adherence to security, handling, and documentation procedures is preferred.
• NDT experience (Ultrasonic preferred) is a strong plus.
• Must be ITAR-eligible and eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Strong attention to detail, documentation accuracy, and quality discipline.

Salary: $75,000 - $93,000