Sr. Quality Engineer

Lanteris Space is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to join our team in Palo Alto, CA.

About the role

The Senior Quality Engineer is a strategic technical leader responsible for improving product quality, process performance, and operational effectiveness through the application of quality engineering, Lean Six Sigma methodologies, industrial engineering principles, advanced analytics, and data-driven decision making. This role partners across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Test, and Program Management organizations to identify systemic risks, eliminate recurring defects, optimize business and manufacturing processes, improve throughput, reduce variation, and enhance overall organizational performance.

The successful candidate will lead initiatives that shift quality from a reactive inspection-based approach to a prevention-focused model emphasizing quality at the source, predictive analytics, process optimization, and continuous improvement. This position serves as a trusted advisor to leadership, mentor to Quality Engineers, and technical leader for cross-functional initiatives that improve quality, productivity, schedule performance, and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-level quality improvement initiatives focused on defect prevention, process capability, first-pass yield improvement, and reduction of Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
• Apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies, advanced statistical analysis, and structured problem-solving techniques to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and deploy advanced analytics, business intelligence solutions, and emerging AI capabilities to improve quality prediction, root cause identification, risk detection, and organizational decision making.
• Develop executive-level dashboards, performance metrics, and reporting systems that provide visibility into quality, manufacturing, supply chain, and program performance.
• Analyze complex datasets and business processes to identify trends, emerging risks, recurring failure modes, process variation, bottlenecks, capacity constraints, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead cross-functional investigations involving quality escapes, nonconformances, supplier issues, production challenges, and systemic process failures to drive sustainable solutions.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program teams to implement quality-at-the-source strategies, optimize workflows, improve process controls, reduce reliance on inspection, and increase operational throughput.
• Lead value stream mapping, process re-engineering, and future-state design initiatives that improve quality, flow, labor utilization, responsiveness, and overall business performance.
• Support new product introduction and production programs through quality planning, risk management, design reviews, verification, validation, process qualification, and manufacturing readiness activities.
• Mentor and develop Quality Engineers and cross-functional teams through coaching, technical leadership, and training in quality engineering, Lean Six Sigma, industrial engineering, and data-driven decision-making methodologies.
• Influence organizational performance through effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and leadership of initiatives that drive measurable business results in quality, productivity, schedule, and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, statistics, operations management, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, continuous improvement, or a related technical field.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, business administration, operations management, or related discipline.
• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, space systems, or other high-reliability manufacturing environments.
• Experience with AS9100, AS9145, APQP, FMEA, SPC, DOE, and advanced quality planning methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives and influencing organizational change.
• Strong knowledge of quality systems, statistical methods, process improvement methodologies, and root cause analysis techniques.
• Experience developing and utilizing data analytics, dashboards, and performance metrics to drive business decisions.
• Excellent communication, leadership, facilitation, and project management skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Power BI, Minitab, SQL, Python, or other analytics platforms.
• Experience developing predictive analytics, machine learning models, or AI-enabled business solutions.
• Experience mentoring Lean Six Sigma Green Belts, Black Belts, and technical professionals.

Success Measures

• Reduction in Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
• Improved First Pass Yield and Process Capability.
• Reduced Recurring Nonconformances and Quality Escapes.
• Reduced NCR Aging and Rework.
• Improved Throughput and Schedule Performance.
• Increased Visibility Through Executive Dashboards and Analytics.
• Successful Implementation of Strategic Improvement Projects.
• Development of Organizational Problem-Solving and Continuous Improvement Capability.

Pay

The base pay for this position within California is $123,000.00 - $205,000.00 annually. For all other states, geographic cost of labor is used to develop market-driven ranges. This position is also incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health and welfare insurance, and 401(k) to eligible employees.