Senior Quality Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Quality Engineer

Job Description

The Senior Quality Engineer plays a strategic, high-visibility role in a precision machining environment that serves aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure applications. This position focuses on strengthening quality systems, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring full compliance with customer and regulatory requirements in AS9100, ITAR, and CMMC-regulated environments. Rather than centering solely on inspections and audits, this role treats quality as a core engineering function and a key competitive advantage, with direct impact on manufacturing operations, customer satisfaction, and long-term business growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead and strengthen quality management systems to support highly engineered components for aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure applications.
• Own and manage critical quality processes, including First Article Inspection (FAI) and PPAP submissions, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and on-time delivery.
• Develop, implement, and maintain corrective action plans to address nonconformances and prevent recurrence across manufacturing operations.
• Drive root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, 5-Why, and Fishbone diagrams to resolve complex quality issues.
• Ensure audit readiness and support internal and external audits within AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and related regulatory frameworks.
• Oversee supplier quality activities, including qualification, performance monitoring, and corrective actions to maintain high standards across the supply base.
• Collaborate closely with operations, engineering, and executive leadership to improve process capability, product quality, and overall business performance.
• Apply APQP and PPAP methodologies to develop and validate robust manufacturing and quality processes for new and existing products.
• Utilize GD&T and engineering drawings to guide inspection activities and verify that components meet precise dimensional and functional requirements.
• Promote and lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance quality, reliability, traceability, and compliance throughout the organization.
• Provide technical quality engineering guidance to cross-functional teams, positioning quality as a strategic function and competitive advantage.
• Support inspection activities as needed while ensuring they align with broader quality engineering objectives and system improvements.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in quality engineering and quality assurance within a manufacturing environment, ideally involving precision machining.
• Hands-on experience with AS9100 and ISO 9001 quality management systems and their practical application in daily operations.
• Demonstrated expertise in PPAP and APQP processes, including planning, documentation, submission, and approval activities.
• Strong root cause analysis skills using 8D, 5-Why, and Fishbone methodologies to resolve complex quality and process issues.
• Experience managing corrective action plans from identification through implementation and verification of effectiveness.
• Background in aerospace or similarly regulated industries with familiarity working under ITAR and CMMC requirements.
• Proficiency in GD&T and the ability to interpret engineering drawings for inspection and process validation.
• Experience with supplier quality management, including evaluating supplier performance and driving improvements.
• Solid understanding of quality management principles and continuous improvement practices in an engineering and manufacturing context.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with operations, engineering, and leadership teams to influence decisions and drive change.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working in environments where precision, traceability, compliance, and reliability are mission-critical.
• Background in audit preparation and participation, with the ability to maintain a state of ongoing audit readiness.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a structured approach to data-driven decision-making.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to present quality findings and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a high-visibility individual contributor with direct influence on operations and business outcomes.
• Interest in treating quality as a strategic engineering function and key differentiator in the marketplace.

Work Environment

This is a fully onsite role in a precision machining manufacturing environment that supports aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure applications. The facility operates under AS9100, ITAR, and CMMC-regulated conditions, where precision, traceability, and compliance are integral to daily work. You will collaborate closely with operations, engineering, and leadership teams on the production floor and in office settings, working with quality systems, inspection processes, and engineering documentation in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment.

This is a Contract position based out of Wauseon, OH.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $60.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

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)

This is a Contract position based out of Wauseon, OH.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 6, 2026.

This is a fully onsite position in Wauseon,OH.

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 withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

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

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall 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 applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.