Quality Engineer

Job Title: Quality Engineer

Job Description

The Quality Engineer supports high-volume advanced manufacturing operations involving laser processing, fragile material handling, inspection, cleaning, packaging, and customer quality requirements. This role develops, maintains, and improves data collection systems to understand process performance, identify defect trends, support root-cause analysis, and ensure effective, well-documented production controls. A key focus is creating reliable process data at every production step, from incoming inspection through shipment, while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, and customer-facing teams. This position is critical to scaling production while protecting yield, customer confidence, product traceability, and process control within a cutting-edge, high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and improve production quality data collection systems to monitor process performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Create and manage reliable process data across all production steps, including incoming inspection, lamination, laser processing, cleaning, final inspection, packaging, and shipment.
• Analyze production data to identify defect trends, process variation, and quality risks, and translate findings into practical corrective and preventive actions.
• Support root-cause analysis and implement disciplined corrective actions to address quality issues and prevent recurrence.
• Ensure production controls are effective, documented, and aligned with quality management system requirements, including ISO 9001.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, and customer-facing program teams to identify and mitigate quality risks early.
• Support and maintain documentation such as Control Plans, PFMEA, work instructions, inspection plans, and nonconforming material processes.
• Collect data, compile it into graphs and charts, and present it in a clear and meaningful way to internal stakeholders and customers.
• Interface directly with customers to address quality concerns, present data and proposals, and respond to quality-related requests.
• Support customer audits, supplier qualifications, Control Plan reviews, PFMEA reviews, and corrective-action reviews as needed.
• Contribute to process control, defect tracking, and process capability analysis to support stable, scalable production.
• Participate in and support production ramps, new product introductions, and high-growth manufacturing activities to ensure quality is maintained as volume increases.
• Use structured problem-solving methods and statistical tools such as MSA, gage R&R, SPC, capability analysis, and Pareto analysis to improve processes.
• Support optical inspection, metrology, and automated inspection methods where applicable, ensuring measurement systems are suitable and reliable.
• Prepare and deliver proposals and technical presentations to internal teams and external customers, explaining quality strategies, findings, and recommendations.

Essential Skills

• 3-5 years of experience as a Quality Engineer in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Experience working within an ISO 9001 quality management system and familiarity with ISO 9001 QMS requirements.
• Ability to interface effectively with customers regarding quality issues, data, and corrective actions.
• Strong ability to collect data, compile it into graphs and charts, and present it in a clear and meaningful way.
• Experience with root-cause analysis, corrective action, process control, and defect tracking.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Materials Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience such as an associate degree or substantial non-degreed technical experience.
• Strong capability to develop and maintain production quality data systems.
• Familiarity with Control Plans, PFMEA, work instructions, inspection plans, and nonconforming material processes.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and convert findings into practical actions that improve quality and process performance.
• Strong communication skills for working with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Materials, and customer-facing teams.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of commitment to documentation accuracy.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, industrial manufacturing, or medical device manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
• Experience supporting production ramps, new product introductions, or high-growth manufacturing environments.
• Experience with laser processing, semiconductor materials, wafer handling, micro-machining, optics, electronics, medical devices, aerospace, or other precision manufacturing environments.
• Experience working with fragile materials such as wafers, thin films, coated materials, or thermal interface materials.
• Experience with optical inspection, digital microscopy, profilometry, metrology systems, SWIR/IR inspection, or automated inspection methods.
• Experience supporting customer audits, supplier qualification activities, Control Plan reviews, PFMEA reviews, or corrective-action reviews.
• Experience with measurement system analysis (MSA), gage R&R, statistical process control (SPC), capability analysis, Pareto analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Interest in working with cutting-edge technology and contributing to a high-growth organization focused on precision manufacturing.

Work Environment

This is a fully onsite role in a high-volume advanced manufacturing environment that focuses on precision processes such as laser processing, optical inspection, and metrology. The Quality Engineer works closely with operators, team leads, quality inspectors, manufacturing engineers, and customer quality teams, and regularly presents proposals and findings to internal stakeholders and external customers. The position requires frequent interaction with customer representatives, including fielding calls and responding promptly to quality-related requests. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, either 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The environment emphasizes collaboration, technical excellence, and the use of advanced inspection and measurement technologies, offering the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in a company experiencing significant growth.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Columbia, MD.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $68000.00 - $90000.00/yr.

Competitive salary, dependent on experience. Generous time-off package including paid PTO starting at 12 days (rising to 25 with service), 9 public holidays plus a floating holiday, paid birthday leave, sick & safe leave, and paid bereavement and public-duty leave (pro-rated for part-time roles). Company medical insurance plan, including health, dental, and vision coverage Life Insurance and Disability Insurance for added financial protection Generous 401K scheme Professional development opportunities, where applicable, including training and support for qualifications

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Columbia,MD.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 30, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.