Senior Principal Quality Engineer

PGS Worldwide is seeking a Senior Principal Quality Engineer in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a one year contract-to-hire role supporting a leading aerospace & defense company. This role temporarily backfills a Program Quality Engineer position supporting ES Engine Systems programs. The Senior Principal Quality Engineer will develop program quality plans, support lifecycle and program management reviews, serve as a customer quality liaison, and drive issue resolution, compliance, and performance improvement activities.

Required Skills

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field of study.

• Knowledge of industry standards and regulations, including AS9100, ISO 9001, and CMMI.

• Experience with root cause corrective action.

• Strong problem-solving and risk management skills.

• Familiarity with lifecycle management processes and project management.

• Customer skills, including the ability to develop solid working customer relationships with credibility.

• Business acumen, leadership, and cross-functional influence.

• Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.

• Experience with quality tools and methodologies, including 8D and Lean Six Sigma.

• Experience with AS9145 APQP.

What You'll Do

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive program quality plans, including estimates, schedules, resources, and budgets.

• Coordinate quality expertise and collaborate with other functions on APQP planning.

• Support lifecycle management, phase gate, and program management reviews.

• Proactively identify issues and participate in program return-to-green efforts and transition-to-production activities.

• Serve as the primary customer quality liaison by overseeing product sell-off, hosting customer source inspections and audits, approving and submitting PPAPs, and managing customer quality issues and concerns.

• Integrate quality into the program lifecycle by influencing bids and ensuring requirements flow down to design, suppliers, and factories.

• Validate requirements through make item PPV and FAI reviews and approvals.

• Lead nonconformance management, oversee Material Alert investigations, and chair Material Review Boards.

• Drive robust root cause and corrective action processes while minimizing program and customer impact.

• Identify and communicate quality risks, ensure mitigation strategies are in place, and leverage product issue data for DFMEA and PFMEA updates.

• Develop supplier quality clausing plans and review and approve subcontract management plans and statements of work.

• Ensure compliance with programmatic processes and organize, support, or execute ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF16949 audits, and CMMI assessments.

• Manage and report key quality metrics while partnering with programs and other functions to improve program and business performance.

Job ID: 7472

"Military veterans and transitioning military members are encouraged to apply to all PGS Worldwide positions. All of our jobs are military-friendly, and we work with leaders in Aerospace who rely on your military expertise to support mission-critical programs nationwide. As a Veteran Founded company, we know that the military has given you the skills and training you need to succeed in positions like this, and we want to support your success in the civilian sector however we can. We thank you for your service and humbly offer our own in return by helping you take your career to the next level. "