Vast is seeking a Quality Engineer who will report to the Manager of Quality. The role involves providing support in developing systems necessary for the design and construction of human-rated artificial-gravity space stations. This is a full-time, exempt position based at our Hawthorne facility. The Quality Engineer will play a crucial role in aiding the efforts of our Principal Quality Engineer and will also engage in extensive collaboration across functions to execute initiatives for continuous improvement aimed at maintaining the quality of products and processes.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams through product development and manufacturing to create quality plans for flight hardware, including identification of key characteristics, prototype testing for functionality and manufacturability, first article and detailed inspection planning, and consideration of past failures and lessons learned.
• Develop, implement and validate Lean test and inspection processes for new and existing products and process, ensuring that criteria are objective and that quality goals are consistently met.
• Design, implement, and monitor quality controls across the product lifecycle, ensuring early issue detection and resolution resulting in products that meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Ensure that our products remain compliant with industry standards and regulations.
• Analyze current processes and identify opportunities for efficiency improvements.
• Conduct regular build quality reviews to ensure that design intent is achieved and well-communicated; identify opportunities for risk reduction and removal of complexity in designs and processes to improve manufacturability, collaborating with integrated product teams to drive improvements and address high-impact and repeating non-conformances.
• Perform in-depth analyses to determine the underlying causes, enabling targeted corrective and preventive actions that address the core problems and prevent recurrence.
• Proactively identify opportunities for process optimization and waste reduction.
• Establish data-driven quality metrics and key performance indicators.
• Work closely with various departments, including R&D, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to facilitate the sharing of quality-related insights and best practices, fostering a cohesive and unified approach to quality standards, and effective quality control methodologies.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by promoting quality awareness, providing training, and facilitating improvement projects.
• Investigate failures in manufacturing, test and flight, identifying and mitigating the immediate and underlying root causes in order to reduce risk and improve reliability of designs and processes.
• Contain suspect or known non-conforming product, providing guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, shop supervisors and engineers to assist in quarantining and rework activities.
• Support the shop floor in continuous improvement and the advancing of a Lean, autonomous production system through creation of standard rework/repair guides, removal of redundant or unnecessary inspection, and improved control and optimization of critical processes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or other engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of related engineering experience in aerospace with emphasis in quality engineering, systems engineering, and/or project management.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or electrical engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace or related fields.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation and mission of improving Quality of manufacturing in cutting-edge technology.
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high volume manufacturing, test, and quality environment.
• Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability.
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action implementation, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches.
• Experience developing or supporting any of the following products/processes:
• CNC machining, forming, bending.
• Fluid component/valve assembly.
• Complex mechanical/structural assemblies.
• Advanced composites systems.
• Pre-preg lamination/curing composites.
• Bonding, drilling, fastening and other assembly manufacturing processes.
• Avionics integration and testing.
• Fluid system pressure testing.
• Welding (EB, MIG, TIG, & OTW).

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.