Quality Engineer III (Spacecraft)

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space - anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY Quality Assurance owns the processes and tools by which Firefly identifies, contains, eliminates, and prevents non-conformances. Quality is charged with defining and maintaining the processes and tools which prove product capabilities meet requirements and result in a predictably economical and reliable product. The Firefly Quality Engineer is responsible for the development and maintenance of processes, equipment, and plans for inspection and acceptance of qualification and flight hardware and software products. They are responsible for containment, root cause analysis, and corrective actions - in addition to periodic auditing - to ensure products are reliable and economical. Verifying that all key performance and design characteristics are met prior to launch, Quality Engineers play a critical role in ensuring mission success.

This position is located at our Spacecraft Integration facility in Leander, TX.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams through product development and production to create quality plans for flight products, including identification of key characteristics, development testing for functionality and manufacturability, first article and detailed inspection planning, and consideration of past failures and lessons learned.
• Develop and maintain inspection plans on Spacecraft electrical/avionics components and sub-assemblies (fluids, avionics, structural).
• Develop and maintain equipment, training, and standard work instructions for detailed inspection programs which assure adherence to design, specification, and testing requirements.
• Ensure that all actions required for product acceptance are conducted accurately and efficiently, in alignment with all customer requirements and regulatory standards.
• Generate accurate records for traceability and pedigree of customer-deliverable products, including records of First Article Inspection.
• Lead and support Quality Inspectors in workflow priority, inspection process efficiency, and best practice inspection methodologies.
• Identify and document non-conformances affecting product reliability and production efficiency.
• Collect, track, and trend production data on first-pass yield and non-conformance issues, performing basic statistical analysis on variable data.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to investigate and resolve non-conformance or quality issues, including development and implementation of robust corrective actions to prevent recurrences.
• Develop and execute quarantine plans to identify, control, and disposition all affected non-conforming product.
• Maintain tool control and calibration processes within assigned department - including validation of metrology systems.
• Plan and perform periodic product and process audits to ensure compliance with Firefly Quality Management System.
• Implement standards, tools, and methods to ensure the effectiveness of quality processes and sustain quality performance improvements.
• Execute projects and process improvements to reduce cost of poor quality.
• Review designs and provide feedback to mitigate manufacturability and inspection challenges.
• Review procedures and production metrics that impact quality and make necessary changes to ensure compliance with standards and requirements for mission success.
• Provide research and interpretation of regulations and requirements to ensure compliance with external standards.
• Participate in technical operations and offer guidance and/or serve as an additional technical engineering resource.
• Initiate and execute plans to improve product quality, reliability, and inspection efficiency.
• Apply 5S workplace organization & follow the Lean initiatives.
• Support manufacturing compliance to customer and internal specifications to meet contractual and mission requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Required:

• Bachelors degree in mechanical, industrial, or electrical engineering or related discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry).

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role.

• Demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals, interpret technical information, develop technical instructions, and understand: technical drawings, specifications, GD&T, and related quality control documentation and standards.

• Experience with standards and/or equivalent quality, military, or government standards in the aerospace industry.

• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and written.

• Flexibility regarding workflow and process.

• Excellent organization skills.

• Willingness to work with a team, share expertise, and follow instructions to accomplish established goals.

• Desired:

• Bachelors degree in aerospace, mechanical, industrial, electrical engineering or related discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry).

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in an aerospace manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role.

• Demonstrated experience applying quality assurance principles, methods, and processes - including inspection techniques, equipment, and tools used in quality control.

• Comprehensive understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, materials, and specifications.

• Demonstrated competency in structures/composites, electrical/avionics, and fluids/propulsion disciplines.

• Full capability to read and understand blueprints, drawings GD&T, and Model-Based Definitions.

• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches.

• Demonstrated experience with application of aerospace quality standards, such as AS9100 or ISO 9001 IPC Certification (IPC J-STD-001, IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, IPC-A-620, IPC-7711/21) and familiarity with NASA-STD-8739.4.

• Experience operating in and maintaining cleanroom per FS209E, ISO 14644-1, or equivalent.

• ASQ CQE.