Approach Venture · 14 hours ago
Lead Quality Engineer - Aerospace & Defense Composites
Torrance, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$120K/yr - $180K/yr
5+ years expApproach Venture is a rapidly scaling seed-stage defense technology startup, seeking a Lead Quality Engineer to design and implement its quality management system for advanced composite manufacturing. The role involves establishing AS9100-compliant processes, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring quality across production and product delivery.
Management Consulting
Hiring Manager
Torey Bell
Responsibilities
Lead development, implementation, and ongoing ownership of the AS9100-compliant Quality Management System (QMS)
Establish quality procedures, work instructions, control plans, and documentation for scalable production
Prepare for and manage internal audits, external audits, and certification processes
Drive root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and continuous improvement initiatives
Own First Article Inspections (FAI), SPC programs, and process qualification activities
Partner with manufacturing, engineering, and operations teams to embed quality into every stage of production
Develop inspection methodologies, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria for composite hardware
Lead MRB processes, nonconformance investigations, and production risk mitigation
Track key quality metrics including yield, scrap, rework, and supplier performance
Qualify, audit, and manage suppliers to ensure compliance and reliability
Train teams on quality standards, documentation discipline, and best practices
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
5+ years of quality engineering or manufacturing quality experience in regulated environments
Direct hands-on experience implementing or maintaining AS9100 quality systems
Strong knowledge of audit preparation, compliance documentation, and process control
Experience supporting hardware from development through full-rate production
Proficiency with root cause methodologies, CAPA, SPC, and continuous improvement tools
Ability to work cross-functionally in fast-paced startup environments
Preferred
Background in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or composite production
Experience standing up quality systems from early-stage or pre-certification environments
Familiarity with ISO 9001, NADCAP, or high-reliability manufacturing standards
Supplier quality management and audit experience
Exposure to production scaling environments with rapid growth
Benefits
401(k) with employer match
Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Equity in a fast-growing hardware company
Company
Approach Venture
Enabling founding teams building the future of frontier technology to achieve their full potential.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Bryce Dabbs
Founder & CEO
Tristan Cembrinski
Partner
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