Senior Quality Engineer

Description

About Helix Linear:

Helix Linear Technologies designs and manufactures high-precision motion control systems for industries where performance matters most, including medical devices, advanced automation, aerospace and defense. Our products power mission-critical applications where reliability and precision down to ±0.0001 inches make all the difference.

Our vision is to engineer what’s possible in motion, with precision, integrity, and purpose. We pursue that vision by designing, machining, grinding, and assembling critical motion components in-house, including precision ball screws and linear systems. Our clean, climate-controlled facility is equipped with advanced manufacturing equipment including Citizen Swiss lathes, multi-axis CNC mills, precision grinders, and specialized assembly and test systems.

Helix is growing and investing in new equipment, advanced processes, its people, and the systems required to scale with discipline. As we expand, we’re building a world-class precision manufacturing operation, which means higher standards for ownership, communication, urgency, and accountability across every role on the floor.

At Helix, we value ownership, technical excellence, and a growth mindset. If you’re motivated by meaningful work at the intersection of engineering, innovation, and manufacturing, and want to grow with a company shaping the future of motion control, we’d love to meet you.

About the Position:

We're looking for a Senior Quality Engineer to own inspection, nonconformance resolution, and customer-facing quality issues across our product lines; lead screws, ball screws, linear actuators, custom assemblies, and precision components for medical device, aerospace, and defense customers. This is a senior, high-trust role built with succession in mind, ideal for an experienced quality professional ready to grow into broader quality leadership at Helix.

This role is the technical owner of what happens when something goes wrong: a part doesn't conform, a customer calls, an FAI needs to pass the first time. You'll be the calm, credible voice in those moments, and the person building the systems that prevent them from repeating.

Core Responsibilities:

Customer and Corrective Action

• Own MRB and DMR dispositions for non-conforming material, and carry that discipline through to a clean RMA process
• Represent quality on customer calls, including the hard ones, from non-conformance notification through resolution
• Support customer audits with substantive documentation and clear technical responses

Inspection & NPI

• Own the inspection strategy and plans across product lines: what gets measured, at what stage, to what standard
• Apply GD&T daily in inspection planning, tolerance stack analysis, and FAI review
• Run Gauge R&R studies to validate measurement systems and gauge capability
• Lead AS9102 FAIs, coordinating documentation, execution, and customer acceptance
• Use CMM, vision system, and SPC data to identify process trends and catch issues before they escape
• Support NPI with DFM reviews, process validation, and capability studies

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Support the quality management system in practice: control plans, work instructions, corrective action closure
• Support AS9100 and ISO 9001 compliance, including active participation in certification work
• Conduct supplier audits and assessments; define incoming quality requirements and drive supplier corrective action
• Manage gage selection, calibration, and operator training
• Lead AS9100 internal audit planning and execution, driving certification and surveillance audit readiness
• Mentor and develop quality engineers and inspectors, building bench strength and succession depth within the quality function

Leadership & Audit Readiness

• Serve as the site's subject-matter authority on AS9100, translating standard requirements into practical, shop-floor-ready systems
• Lead internal audit program design and execution; coordinate directly with the registrar during certification and surveillance audits
• Partner with the Quality Manager on succession planning, positioning to step into expanded quality leadership responsibilities over time

Who You Are:

• Detail-oriented and technically grounded. You catch things others miss and you care about getting it right
• A problem-solver, not just a documenter. You close the loop, not just flag the issue
• Comfortable on the floor and on a customer call. Even when the conversation is tense, you don't rattle
• Strong work ethic. Excellence is your standard, you care about quality, and follow through without being chased
• Self-directed. You manage your own priorities and don't need to be told twice
• Curious about the process. You want to understand why something failed, not just that it did
• Collaborative. Engineering, production, and sales rely on you; you make that easy

What You Bring:

• 8-10+ years in quality engineering or inspection in a precision or regulated manufacturing environment, with demonstrated ownership of a facility's quality systems
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering preferred; equivalent hands-on quality/manufacturing experience will be considered
• GD&T fluency, prior exposure is ideal, we'll train as needed
• Hands-on Gauge R&R and MSA experience
• MRB/DMR experience, with the ability to translate that discipline into a clean RMA process
• Hands-on CMM and vision system experience
• Strong AS9100 fluency required, with hands-on experience owning certification and surveillance audit cycles end-to-end
• Proficient in inspection planning tools: InspectionXpert, SolidWorks, Excel
• Clear communicator, equally effective with machinists on the floor and customers on a call
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) preferred, with an emphasis on AS9100; AS9100 Lead Auditor Training strongly preferred
• Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred, with a background in SPC analysis using Minitab
• Analytical toolkit beyond inspection: FMEA, DOE, PPAP; CNC machining familiarity a plus

What Success Looks Like:

• MRB/DMR dispositions are timely and well-documented; RMAs move through resolution without customer frustration
• FAIs are executed on time and accepted by customers the first time,  no rework, no delays
• Inspection plans exist for every active product line and are being followed on the floor
• Nonconformances have documented root causes and closed corrective actions, not just paperwork
• Engineering and operations treat quality as a partner, they loop you in early, not after the fact
• Customer escapes are rare; when they happen, your response is fast, clear, and professional, even under pressure
• You're recognized as the team's AS9100 subject-matter expert, having led certification or surveillance audit readiness, and you're actively mentoring the next generation of quality talent
• The floor trusts you, operators flag issues early because they know it leads somewhere

Why Join Helix:

At Helix, manufacturing isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are. Our work is built around precision, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement. 

You’ll work in a clean, climate-controlled facility with advanced equipment, alongside machinists, engineers, operators, and commercial team members who take pride in their work and hold themselves to high standards.Helix is building something meaningful, not just high-precision products, but a company defined by integrity, clarity, and disciplined execution in industries where the stakes are high. We engineer with purpose, take ownership of our work, and believe doing things the right way matters.

We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, retirement plans, PTO, and major holidays off, along with steady daytime hours.

If you take pride in solving problems, contributing to a team that values craftsmanship and accountability, and doing work where precision and reliability matter, Helix is a place where your work will truly matter.

Helix Linear Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Due to U.S. export control laws, applicants must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident).