Quality Engineer

About the company

Space Kinetic develops a propellant-free electromechanical payload-deployment system and patented mechanism to eject diverse small payloads at high velocities from host satellites for space and missile defense applications.

About this role

<p><strong>A New Paradigm For Space Operations.</strong></p> <p><strong>Who We Are:</strong></p> <p>Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.</p> <p>This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.</p> <p><strong>What You’ll Do:</strong></p> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">We are seeking a <strong>Quality Engineer</strong>&nbsp;to </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">help&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">ensure the successful development, integration, and delivery of spacecraft and flight hardware</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">&nbsp;as w</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">ell as</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">&nbsp;build and scale our Quality Management System (QMS).&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">This role&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">serves as a technical partner throughout the product lifecycle, helping engineers design quality into our products rather than inspecting it in after the fact.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">T</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">his role&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">will support</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">&nbsp;the implementation and certification of our first manufacturing process to AS9100 standards while working side-by-side with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Operations. As we transition from building our first flight hardware to producing many vehicles, this engineer will own quality for one of our major space programs, driving the systems, processes, and standards needed to ensure every product is built to meet the demands of spaceflight. Success in this role means helping Space Kinetic move from proving we can build one exceptional vehicle to reliably&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">produce</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW108637494 BCX8">&nbsp;many with consistent quality, repeatability, and mission readiness.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW108637494 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong>Job Responsibilities:</strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <ul> <li data-section-id="tl6y37" data-start="424" data-end="505">Own quality for a major spacecraft program from development through production.</li> <li data-section-id="iyevk1" data-start="506" data-end="566">Build and scale Space Kinetic’s Quality Management System.</li> <li data-section-id="1g3x74i" data-start="567" data-end="617">Support AS9100 implementation and certification.</li> <li data-section-id="1rad4a8" data-start="618" data-end="706">Develop quality standards, processes, and controls for spacecraft and flight hardware.</li> <li data-section-id="1hx1qwz" data-start="707" data-end="786">Partner across teams to improve product quality and production repeatability.</li> <li data-section-id="1v9hiad" data-start="787" data-end="862">Lead root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.</li> <li data-section-id="14lmfvf" data-start="863" data-end="951">Ensure flight hardware meets quality, reliability, and mission-readiness requirements.</li> </ul> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>What It Takes:</strong></p> <p><span data-ccp-parastyle="List Bullet"></span></p> <ul> <li data-section-id="bye3or" data-start="973" data-end="1027">Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.</li> <li data-section-id="1xa2tl0" data-start="1028" data-end="1124">3–7 years of experience in aerospace, defense, or another regulated manufacturing environment.</li> <li data-section-id="6dv0r5" data-start="1125" data-end="1167">Working knowledge of AS9100D and AS9102.</li> <li data-section-id="1chd540" data-start="1168" data-end="1244">Experience with inspection methods, GD&amp;T, and manufacturing documentation.</li> <li data-section-id="1t0ij2y" data-start="1245" data-end="1292">Experience with CAPA and root-cause analysis.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What We’d Love:</strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="List Bullet"></span></span></p> <ul> <li data-section-id="x5f0j7" data-start="1315" data-end="1375">ASQ Certified Quality Engineer or a similar certification.</li> <li data-section-id="5kir0f" data-start="1376" data-end="1442">Experience supporting precision machining or aerospace hardware.</li> <li data-section-id="19ro49c" data-start="1443" data-end="1522">Knowledge of NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, ITAR, and export-controlled environments.</li> <li data-section-id="1sb6y08" data-start="1523" data-end="1591">Experience with ERP, QMS, and electronic document-control systems.</li> </ul> <p><span data