Senior Quality Engineer

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost. Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. This role will be located at our Cincinnati, Ohio facility.

About the role

The Senior Quality Engineer (Sr. QE) will serve as a technical quality leader for aerospace manufacturing operations, supporting our machining COE in Blue Ash, OH with a focus on CNC machining and inspection. This role requires expert-level capability in GD&T, SPC, and dimensional inspection tools, with a strong emphasis on training and mentoring the quality and production teams in inspection methods and standards. The Sr. QE ensures AS9100 compliance, drives continuous improvement, and supports root cause investigations across internal and supplier operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support dimensional inspection activities including development inspection plans, supporting the team on the use of quality inspection equipment such as CMMs, comparator analysis, and manual inspection tools (height gauges, micrometers, indicators, etc.)
• Design procedure and implement bespoke inspection gage and tool solutions enabling quick and repeatable inspections supporting part control plans and SPC
• Serve as a technical SME and trainer for GD&T interpretation, measurement methods, and SPC application on the shop floor
• Develop and implement SPC control charts, capability studies (Cp, Cpk), and data-driven process monitoring
• Oversee First Article Inspections (FAIs) per AS9102 and support new product launch readiness
• Perform and teach thorough Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA) methods (8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone)
• Create and maintain control plans, inspection plans, and detailed WI for in-process and final inspection
• Analyze internal scrap, rework, and escape data; identify trends and lead improvement efforts
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve process capability and reduce variation
• Understand customer requirements and flowdown and build customer-specific inspection plans, communication strategy, and support customer-specific audits, FAIs, and new customer onboarding requirements
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits (AS9100, NADCAP) with a state of readiness mindset
• Mentor junior quality staff and production operators on measurement principles and inspection accuracy

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years in Quality Engineering within aerospace or precision manufacturing
• Expert-level GD&T interpretation and application (ASME Y14.5)
• Experience designing custom gaging solutions (Go/no-go, air gaging, functional gages)
• Strong experience with SPC tools and analysis, including control charts, MSA, GR&R
• Experience in the operation of CMMs and their software (e.g., PC-DMIS or similar)
• Hands-on experience using comparators, calipers, micrometers, and other metrology tools
• Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, and customer-specific aerospace requirements
• Proficient in quality data tools (Minitab, Excel, eQMS, ERP/MRP systems)
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government-issued security clearance is required; U.S. Citizenship is required

Preferred Qualifications

• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Six Sigma certification
• Experience with additive manufacturing inspection methods
• Knowledge of NADCAP special processes (heat treat, coatings, etc.)
• Experience developing and teaching technical training or certification programs (e.g., Certified Operator Programs)

Skills

• Strong communicator with the ability to teach, mentor, and coach at all levels
• Analytical and hands-on; enjoys being on the floor as much as behind the data
• Able to translate complex quality requirements into practical, shop-floor-level execution
• Comfortable leading investigations, writing reports, and interacting with customers and suppliers
• Continuous improvement mindset, data-driven decision maker
• Roll-up-your-sleeves attitude
• Methodical and systematic approach
• Teamwork-centric orientation
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with some ambiguity
• Passion for your work and eagerness to contribute to a winning team
• Experience working in a start-up or small to medium-sized company
• Generally positive and optimistic approach to challenges

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term Disability coverage from day one
• Generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match
• Bonus eligibility for every role
• Equity in the company