Quality Assurance Engineer

Job Title: Quality Assurance Engineer Job Description
The Quality Assurance Engineer supports quality engineering activities within a manufacturing environment, investigating product, process, and customer quality issues and driving timely resolution. This role conducts root cause analysis, implements corrective and preventive actions, and partners closely with manufacturing, engineering, and quality teams to improve product quality, compliance, and overall operational performance. The position offers broad exposure to customer complaints, audits, process improvement, and manufacturing support, with the opportunity to make a direct impact on product quality and customer satisfaction in a fast-paced, advanced manufacturing setting.
Responsibilities
- Support quality engineering activities within a manufacturing environment to ensure products consistently meet internal and customer quality standards.
- Investigate product, process, and customer quality issues and drive timely, effective resolution.
- Conduct root cause analysis using methodologies such as 5 Why, RCA, and CAPA, and implement corrective and preventive actions to eliminate recurring issues.
- Review production processes and analyze quality data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Partner with manufacturing, engineering, and quality teams to improve product quality, regulatory compliance, and overall operational performance.
- Support customer complaint investigations, including data collection, root cause determination, and development of corrective actions, and communicate findings and resolutions clearly.
- Create, maintain, and update quality documentation, reports, and records to ensure accurate and complete quality system information.
- Participate in internal and external quality audits and support ongoing quality system compliance initiatives, including ISO 9001 activities.
- Review engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing documentation to verify that quality requirements are clearly defined and met.
- Support manufacturing operations by identifying quality risks, recommending improvements, and helping implement process changes.
- Work cross-functionally with manufacturing, production, engineering, and quality teams to ensure products meet customer requirements and internal standards.
- Engage in hands-on involvement with manufacturing processes and quality investigations on the production floor and in cleanroom environments as needed.
- Interact with customers regarding quality issues, investigations, and corrective actions when required.
- Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, initiative, and ownership of quality improvement initiatives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Ensure adherence to requirements for working in an ITAR-regulated environment, including appropriate handling of controlled products and information.
Essential Skills
- 35 years of quality engineering experience within a manufacturing environment preferred, with consideration for candidates with less experience who possess strong internship, co-op, or relevant manufacturing quality experience.
- Demonstrated experience supporting quality engineering activities in a production or manufacturing setting.
- Proven experience performing root cause investigations and corrective action activities using tools such as Root Cause Analysis, Corrective Action, 5 Why Analysis, CAPA, or similar methodologies.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities applied to complex manufacturing and quality issues.
- Ability to independently solve problems, drive quality improvements, and take ownership of quality initiatives.
- Experience working cross-functionally with manufacturing, production, engineering, and quality teams.
- Ability to effectively communicate technical information across multiple levels of an organization, both verbally and in writing.
- Strong attention to detail and excellent documentation skills for reports, records, and quality system documentation.
- Eligibility to work in an ITAR-regulated environment.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering preferred; other relevant engineering or technical degrees may also be considered.
- Exposure to ISO 9001 quality systems and experience supporting compliance activities preferred.
- Experience working within regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies preferred, including application to process and quality improvement.
- Audit participation or audit support experience preferred.
- Experience in medical device manufacturing preferred.
- Experience in aerospace and defense manufacturing preferred.
- Experience in electronics, semiconductor, or component manufacturing preferred.
- Experience supporting customer quality issues and customer complaint investigations preferred.
- Comfort working in advanced manufacturing environments with highly engineered electronic components.
- Demonstrated initiative, ownership mindset, and ability to work independently in a fast-paced setting.
Work Environment
This position is 100% onsite with regular presence on the engineering and production floors. The role involves frequent collaboration with quality, manufacturing, process engineering, and production teams, as well as hands-on involvement with manufacturing processes, quality investigations, and process improvement initiatives. You will work in a fast-paced environment that requires independent decision-making and strong cross-functional communication. The work includes exposure to cleanroom and manufacturing areas to support product quality and operational improvements and may involve direct interaction with customers regarding quality issues and corrective actions. The organization offers the opportunity to support advanced manufacturing processes and highly engineered electronic components, with strong cross-functional visibility and a temp-to-hire pathway that provides long-term growth potential. The culture rewards initiative, ownership, and independent problem-solving, and emphasizes making a direct impact on product quality and customer satisfaction.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of San Diego, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $78000.00 - $90000.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in San Diego,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 14, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.