Senior Build Reliability Engineer

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.

The Quality & Reliability Team at Hermeus are truly embedded, supporting the full vehicle lifecycle of the aircraft we design, build, and fly. Build Reliability Engineers (BREs) are committed to the reliability of flight components and the manufactured processes executed within production. Build Reliability Engineers at Hermeus will guide the hardware from design to manufacturing and flight operation. They will use data to understand the factors that drive reliability and support quality initiatives with design and development teams to drive improvements in manufacturing, test, and flight reliability. Additionally, they will dive deep into the details to identify, understand, and solve difficult technical problems and utilize a system-level approach to deliver root cause corrective action.  

Responsibilities

• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams through vehicle development to create quality plans for hardware, including identification of key characteristics, prototype testing for functionality, and manufacturability, defining first article inspection requirements, and consideration of past failures and lessons learned  

• You will be responsible for defining methods for inspection of components to internal and industry standards to determine part conformity.  

• Investigate failures in manufacturing, test, and flight, identifying and mitigating the immediate and underlying root causes in order to reduce risk and improve the reliability of designs and processes  

• Determine and document appropriate Quality Management System requirements around traceability, non-conformance, and configuration management for the program and work with IT/QMS software teams to build and test the applications to enforce said requirements  

• You will support the Quality Management System policies and procedure documentation and participate in continual improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives.  

• Own and manage the “containment” process.  You will contain suspect or known non-conforming product, providing guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, shop supervisors, and engineers to assist in quarantining and rework activities while driving the NCR process. 

• Develop, implement, and validate Lean test and inspection processes for new and existing products and processes, ensuring that criteria are objective and that quality goals are consistently met  

• Confirm operational safety precautions are considered and identified per area planning standards  

• You will assist in driving & measuring the closure on nonconformance disposition and MRB (material review board) resolution.  

• You will provide engineer-level support to Inspectors and serve as an escalation path for identifying and mitigating any risks.  

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or engineering physics  

• 3+ years in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role   

• Experience supporting FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate – Experimental Category (FAA SAC-EC) inspections.  

• Experience working in a development environment  

• Experience supporting the production of complex mechanical/structural assemblies required. 

• Demonstrated understanding of CAD and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) 

• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem-solving approaches. 

• Ability to attain security clearance 

• Ability to work directly with the hardware on the production floor and will have to be comfortable stooping, bending, lifting and standing. 

• US-Person Status required.  

• Ability to work on-site in El Segundo, CA, area and travel up to ~50%.  

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation and mission of improving reliability in cutting-edge technology  

• Experience with low and high-volume manufacturing, design for manufacture and product development life cycle, or quality tools including root cause and corrective action, PFMEAs, QMS and process controls & auditing and statistical analysis of quality metrics 

• Hands-on knowledge of CNC machining, additive manufacturing, casting, welding, fastening, or other special manufacturing processes  

• Previous Quality or Reliability Engineering in an aerospace environment 

• Previous experience leading and/or closely supporting a team of inspectors 

• Experience with AS9100, AS6500, and/or Nadcap 

The salary range listed for this role is intended as a general guideline. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including role scope and responsibilities, relevant experience, education and training, key skills, market data, and business needs.

At Hermeus, compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. We offer competitive pay, equity, and a range of benefits designed to support our team.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: 100% employer-paid healthcare and pet insurance
• Financial: Competitive pay, stock options, 401(k) retirement plan, and potential year-end bonuses
• Time Off: Paid parental leave, 12 federal holidays, unlimited PTO for exempt employees, and generous accrued PTO for non-exempt employees
• Office Perks: Weekly paid office lunches and fully stocked breakrooms

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS 

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. US persons include U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Hermeus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions at Hermeus are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

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