Quality Engineer

Job Title: Quality Engineer

Attention: Candidates must be local to the greater Seattle area/Washington state

Job Description

As a Quality Engineer, you will support the quality, reliability, and safety of complex electromechanical and embedded products throughout the entire product lifecycle. You will apply strong analytical skills, a solid technical foundation in electronics and mechanical systems, and disciplined problem-solving methods to ensure products meet customer expectations and comply with applicable regulatory and industry standards. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will contribute to quality planning, verification and validation, risk management, and continuous improvement from early development through sustaining production. This is an on-site, in-person role based in Everett, WA, with a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of product lifecycle quality plans from concept through product launch.

• Participate in Design for Quality (DfQ) activities, including DFMEA and design control deliverables, to ensure robust product designs.

• Support risk management activities by contributing to control plans and maintaining risk documentation throughout the lifecycle.

• Assist in defining acceptance criteria, test strategies, MSA/GR&R, and Critical-to-Quality (CtQ) characteristics for new and existing products.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Product Management, and Operations to support manufacturability, reliability, and risk mitigation in design and process decisions.

• Lead or support APQP (or equivalent) activities, including PFMEA, control plans, PPAP documentation, and process capability analysis for new product introductions.

• Participate in validation of production test systems, calibration methods, and in-process inspection strategies to ensure effective production controls.

• Support cross-functional readiness reviews to ensure a smooth transition from development to full production.

• Track and report launch quality metrics such as DPPM, escapes, and early-life warranty or reliability issues, and drive follow-up actions as needed.

• Monitor product health indicators including returns, complaints, yields, warranty data, and reliability trends to identify emerging issues.

• Identify and help reduce rework and scrap contributing to Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) through data-driven analysis and improvement actions.

• Lead or support root cause investigations using 8D, 5 Whys, Ishikawa diagrams, and statistical methods to resolve product and process issues.

• Lead or support stop-ship actions, containment activities, investigations, and quality-related communications when critical issues arise.

• Evaluate and recommend improvements to in-process and end-of-line inspection and testing strategies to enhance detection and prevention controls.

• Support change control evaluations for engineering change orders (ECOs), process changes, and component changes to ensure continued product quality.

• Collaborate with Service and Customer Support teams on customer issues, corrective actions, and feedback loops to drive product and process improvements.

• Participate in cross-functional quality reviews and communicate data-driven quality insights to stakeholders.

• Support ISO 9001:2015 quality system activities and participate in internal and external audits.

• Assist in maintaining quality procedures, work instructions, and records to ensure compliance and consistency.

• Support supplier and customer audits, including corrective action verification and follow-up.

• Promote a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and adherence to ISO and industry standards across the organization.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years of Quality Engineering experience supporting hardware, electromechanical, or embedded products.

• Working knowledge of verification and validation (V&V) methodologies, statistical tools, and quality engineering principles.

• Hands-on experience with DFMEA, PFMEA, measurement system analysis (MSA), GR&R, control plans, and structured problem solving.

• Experience participating in internal audits; auditor certification is a plus.

• Experience with failure analysis and basic reliability concepts.

• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Minitab, Excel, or Power BI.

• Experience participating in Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma initiatives; Green Belt certification is preferred.

• Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC, or similar quality and industry standards.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to drive decisions.

• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) processes, electronics manufacturing, or production test systems.

• Familiarity with PLM, ERP, MES, or other digital quality systems.

• Exposure to reliability engineering methods such as FRACAS or Weibull analysis.

• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to influence decisions through data and objective analysis.

• Continuous improvement mindset with strong attention to detail and process discipline.

Work Environment

This role is based in Everett, WA, within a modern engineering and manufacturing environment focused on hardware, electromechanical, and embedded products. The position follows a hybrid schedule, with three days per week on-site (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and two days remote (Monday and Friday), for a standard 40-hour work week with some overtime as needed. You will work closely with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Service, and Customer Support, and will regularly interact with production test systems, calibration methods, and in-process inspection tools. The organization promotes a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and collaboration, supported by ISO 9001:2015-aligned processes, Lean and Six Sigma initiatives, and digital systems such as PLM, ERP, and MES.

We reserve the right to pay above or below the posted wage based on factors unrelated to sex, race, or any other protected classification.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. This temporary role may be eligible for the following:

Medical, Dental & Vision

401(k)/Roth

Basic/Supplemental Life & AD&D

Short and long-term disability

HSA & DCFSA

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Company Paid Time off or State Sick Leave

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Everett, WA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $65.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Everett,WA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 21, 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 View email address on click.appcast.io 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.