Quality Engineer (Weapons System)

CoAspire is a cutting-edge defense manufacturing leader in Northern Virginia, specializing in the precision assembly of advanced weapons systems. With over thirteen years of a legacy of innovation, we're at the forefront of building reliable, affordable mass weapons that protect and empower our nation’s warfighters. Our tight-knit team thrives in a collaborative environment where safety, quality, and work-life balance come first with a focus on professional growth at our new 27,000+ sq. ft. facility. Join us to make a tangible impact on mission-critical technology while enjoying Northern Virginia's vibrant community.

What you will do:

As a Quality Engineer you'll support a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing production environment by providing technical quality engineering support throughout product realization, manufacturing, inspection, and test. This role partners closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and Quality to identify product and process risks, establish appropriate controls, prevent defects, resolve nonconformances, and ensure compliance with AS9100, customer, and contractual requirements.

Location: Manassas, VA

Responsibilities:

• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to identify Key Characteristics (KCs) and other critical product/process characteristics and establish appropriate inspection, verification, and process-control methods.
• Review engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Material, work instructions, and manufacturing processes to identify quality requirements, acceptance criteria, inspection needs, manufacturability/inspectability concerns, and product/process risks.
• Develop and maintain risk-based inspection plans, control plans, in-process verification requirements, and final inspection criteria.
• Evaluate engineering/process changes and proposed alternate or replacement parts for quality impact, including form, fit, function, inspection, qualification, and full/partial FAI requirements.
• Plan, perform, and review full and partial First Article Inspections and FAIR packages in accordance with AS9102, customer, engineering, and internal requirements.
• Provide technical Quality Engineering support for nonconformance and MRB activities, including product evaluation, risk assessment, disposition recommendations, containment, and extent-of-condition review.
• Lead or support root cause and corrective action activities using structured problem-solving methods such as 5-Why, Fishbone, 8D, or other RCCA methodologies.
• Analyze quality and production data, including defect, scrap, rework, first-pass yield, process variation, and corrective-action effectiveness, to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Apply appropriate quality engineering tools such as PFMEA, control plans, SPC, process capability analysis, and risk-based inspection methods to improve product and process performance.
• Provide shop-floor Quality Engineering support to resolve production issues while protecting product conformity and maintaining production flow.
• Support supplier quality activities, including supplier nonconformance resolution, corrective actions, FAIR review, and technical quality evaluation.
• Support the AS91000 Quality Management System, internal audits, external audits, and continuous-improvement activities as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• 5+ years of Quality Engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Material, and technical work instructions.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 requirements and aerospace/defense quality practices.
• Working knowledge of AS9102 First Article Inspection Requirements and experience supporting or reviewing FAIs/FAIRs.
• Experience with nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action, and effectiveness verification.
• Experience with quality planning and risk-based quality tools such as PFMEA, control plans, SPC, process capability, or equivalent methodologies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, technical communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced production environment with changing priorities while maintaining product conformity and quality requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in aerospace/defense manufacturing involving mechanical assemblies, electrical/electronic assemblies, cable/harness assemblies, or integrated systems.
• Experience identifying and controlling Key Characteristics or special characteristics.
• Experience evaluating engineering changes, alternate/replacement components, and associated quality impacts.
• Experience with supplier quality, MRB/nonconformance review, source inspection, or supplier corrective actions.
• Familiarity with applicable workmanship standards such as IPC J-STD-001, IPC-A-610, and/or IPC/WHMA-A-620.
• Familiarity with ERP, PLM, and QMS systems.
• ASQ certifications, internal auditor training, Lean/Six Sigma certification, or other relevant quality credentials.
• Experience in a rapidly scaling aerospace or defense manufacturing environment.

What We Offer:

• Beyond competitive pay, we offer:
• Full benefits beginning first of month following hire: medical, dental and vision
• 401(k) with generous company match and immediate vesting
• PTO and Federal holidays

Apply now! We're reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Let's build the future together. No agencies, please.

This position pays $110,000 - $145,000 depending on experience and qualifications.

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