Development Quality Assurance Engineer

Job Description

Job Summary
The Development Quality Assurance Engineer covers the function of the Development Quality Assurance (DQA) activities for Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics, working with aircraft equipment, such as hydro-mechanical & electromechanical aircraft control systems, aircraft cockpit switches, latches, and optics components.

The DQA is independent from the engineering organization, responsible for auditing and reviewing the systems supporting documentation, standards, requirements, and processes in accordance with ARP-4754A and other applicable industry and regulatory standards. The DQA ensures effective implementation of the program plan and full compliance of customer, regulatory and company requirements, to achieve company business objectives on all activities performed by the engineering organization. The DQA also has full authority to make quality judgments on deliverable software and systems documentation.

This position has the power and control to carry out engineering quality assurance responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable regulations including: training employees, planning, evaluate and assess quality plans and programs, and provide metrics to customers and regulatory agencies that demonstrate compliance to the previously mentioned documents. The position is also responsible to create and update documentation to capture new or updated processes, rules and regulations.

Essential Job Functions
• Develop process assurance plans, development quality plans and standards based on ARP 4754A and other industry standards.
• Provide metrics to customers and regulatory agencies that demonstrate compliance to ARP 4754A process assurance plans and other design engineering documentation.
• Ensure that project plans are consistent with the development assurance level of the aircraft function, system, or item.
• Ensure that project communications, coordination and sequencing, and progress monitoring mechanisms are defined and are followed.
• Prepare, participate in and support action closure of major project milestones, including but not limited to Stages of Involvement milestone per ARP4754A standard.
• Ensure that established standards and processes exist and are adhered to for the entire life cycle of a system and subsystem development.
• Create audit schedules based on activities identified in the program's master schedule.
• Review of project plans such as System Development and Verification Plan, System Integration Validation and Verification Plan, system interface requirements and design process, configuration management plan, change management process and validation plan.

Complementary Description

• Perform independent reviews and audits both the processes and their outputs to obtain objective evidence that the system (and processes used to develop the system) and subsystem complies with the plans, methods and/or standards.
• Reviews and audits system artifacts prior to releasing under formal configuration control.
• Detect any deficiencies and evaluate, track and resolve them in collaboration with the cross-functional team.
• Maintain records of the audit process, including evidence of assessment of completion of design activities.
• Verify compliance to industry standards like ARP4754A, AS9145 and Safran standards of plans developed by engineering for system and subsystem development, configuration management, validation/verification activities, and the release of documentation.
• Review and approve all development artifacts required for certification and released through the releasing organization.
• Participate in peer reviews across the development life cycle of the program.
• Develop and document the Development Assurance Process for Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics, based on the existing best practices and requirements from the Safran organization, customers and airworthiness authorities.
• Other duties as required.

Job Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.
• This position requires use of information or access to hardware which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. green card holder), political asylee or refugee

Education/Experience
• STEM Bachelor's degree required.
• Proven experience in Development Quality Assurance in the Aerospace Industry (Safran standards is preferable)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Experience with airborne systems development process assurance and the ability to develop the necessary plans and standards in accordance with SAE ARP 4754A, SAE ARP 4761, RTCA DO-178C, RTCA DO-254, and other applicable guidelines and standards in support of FAR Parts 23 and 25 certification.
• Familiarity with avionic systems, proficiency with IBM DOORS and JIRA software, understanding of Requirement-Based Engineering (RBE) philosophy.
• Development Assurance Excellence (Develop and follow the required processes and verifications)
• Advanced English level (Communicates with international customers, operations and senior leadership; formal documentation writing)
• Leadership skills demonstration (Lead & Influence the teams)
• Effective Communication (Status, Risks identification, Plans, Help needed)
• Proactive Approach (Meeting deadlines, presenting improvements, driving improvement plans)
• Proven knowledge in quality standards & tools (e.g., RCCA, 8D, Ishikawa, 5 whys, APQP/PPAP/ AS9100)
• Organization and Project Management skills (e.g., Planning, Actions Follow up, Execution)

Leadership Skills / Management Skills / Personal Skills
• Change agent
• Communication skills and active listening, ability to interact effectively with all levels of management
• Ability to manage and solve conflicts
• Ability to analyze and synthesize
• Customer oriented
• Integrity
• Quality Control Analysis
• Time Management
• Critical Thinking

Specificity of the job

Potential travel between Irvine, California and other locations up to 10%.