About this role
What’s it like realizing your potential at an innovative company that takes on some of the world’s most important challenges? Rewarding. As part of our Controls & Avionics Solutions (CAS) Quality Organization, you’ll join a diverse group of driven professionals who design the products and systems that support enhanced military capabilities, protect national security, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure. With us, you’ll be able to make an impact while you hone your skills and grow in your career. BAE Systems in Endicott, NY is looking for a Design Quality Engineer to join our team. The successful candidate will serve as an assurance partner with engineering by influencing and providing technical guidance on design quality assurance and design for manufacturability. Through early engagement in the design and development phase, the successful candidate will influence the adoption of engineering best practices to identify and eliminate defects early in the product lifecycle. This person will ensure product designs meet customer, quality, and reliability requirements and align to factory and supplier capabilities. This position will be responsible for supporting the designs and digital hardware architectures for all products and may also provide some development support for hardware engineering teams. Key Responsibilities Quality Planning & Execution: Contribute to design‑quality project bid estimates and tailor plans to contract requirements; develop and execute comprehensive quality‑assurance plans for hardware, software, and system designs. Requirements Validation: Ensure internal and external product requirements are understood, validated, properly traced to design, implementation, and testing, and support qualification testing (including test‑set‑up, monitoring, and review of test reports). Test Solution Design & Validation: Design and validate test strategies/solutions that qualify products and meet factory‑acceptance‑test intent. Design Reviews: Participate in and influence design‑review outcomes; provide constructive feedback on engineering models, test plans, and other development artifacts. Change Control: Ensure proper implementation and verification of design changes. APQP / DFMEA / Key Characteristic Identification: Support Advance Product Quality Planning activities, lead Design Failure Mode and Effects Analyses, and identify Key Characteristics. Design Optimization (DFM/DFM/DFM): Apply design‑for‑manufacturability guidelines, process and factory‑capability considerations, and coding standards (software) to optimize designs. Risk & Opportunity & Supply‑Chain Support: Provide input to technical risk‑management, opportunity identification, and part‑supplier selection to meet design, manufacturability, and quality requirements. Design Process Compliance & Continuous Improvement: Ensure adherence to design processes, collect and analyse quality metrics, and cross‑pollinate best practices across programs to foster a culture of continuous improvement. Mentorship: Mentor team members in design‑quality assurance, processes, and regulatory requirements; promote knowledge sharing. Program Quality Planning & Execution: Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive program‑level quality plans (estimates, schedules, resources, budgets) and coordinate quality expertise across functions. Lifecycle Management & Phase‑Gate Support: Support lifecycle management, phase‑gate reviews, and program “return‑to‑green” activities; ensure product quality throughout transition to production. Customer Advocacy & Liaison: Serve as primary customer‑quality liaison; oversee product sell‑off, host customer source inspections/audits, approve and submit PPAPs, and manage customer‑related quality issues. Quality Requirement Management: Integrate quality into the program lifecycle; ensure requirements flow down to design, suppliers, and factories and validate them through PPV/FAI reviews. Issue Management & Resolution: Lead non‑conformance management, chair Material Review Boards, and drive robust Root‑Cause‑Corrective‑Action (RCCA) processes. Supplier / Subcontract Support: Develop supplier‑quality plans, review subcontractor statements of work, and ensure supplier capabilities align with design intent. Compliance & Audit Support: Ensure compliance with BAE programmatic processes; organize and support ISO 9001/AS9100/IATF 16949 audits and CMMI assessments. Performance Monitoring & Improvement: Track key quality metrics, report performance, and partner with functions to drive overall program and business improvements.