NPI Quality Engineer

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises;

we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions.

You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi‑mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real‑world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and  approach is grounded in operator‑centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.‑based manufacturing. We operate by a clear set of values:
Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country.

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for an NPI Quality Engineer to join our team. This role ensures that every new product launched meets PDW’s rigorous standards for reliability, manufacturability, and mission performance. Working cross‑functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management, the NPI Quality Engineer will be instrumental in transitioning designs into production while maintaining uncompromising quality standards.

• Own quality deliverables for new product introductions from prototype through production ramp, ensuring each build phase meets PDW's standards for reliability, manufacturability, and mission readiness.
• Partner with Engineering and Program Management to integrate quality milestones into the NPI schedule and communicate readiness, risks, and mitigation plans to key stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain control plans, inspection criteria, and test procedures for new assemblies, production processes, and critical‑to‑quality characteristics.
• Support Engineering Change Requests and Engineering Change Orders (ECRs/ECOs) with clear assessment of quality, reliability, traceability, and compliance impacts.
• Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) investigations for prototype and pilot build issues, driving containment, corrective action, and prevention of recurrence.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to incorporate design‑for‑quality, design‑for‑manufacturing, and design‑for‑assembly principles into new products.
• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering and Supply Chain to qualify new suppliers and verify that incoming materials and components meet PDW quality requirements.
• Support the transition from development to production by validating process readiness, operator training, tooling, equipment qualification, and build documentation.
• Identify and execute process improvements that improve yield, reduce rework and scrap, and strengthen product reliability across pilot and production builds.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Quality Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 4+ years of Quality Engineering experience, preferably supporting new product introduction, complex assembly manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or mission‑critical systems.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, RCCA, and other structured quality planning and problem‑solving methodologies.
• Experience supporting ECR/ECO processes, process validation, supplier qualification, and quality requirements flow‑down.
• Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or comparable quality management system requirements.
• Proficiency with statistical process control (SPC), quality metrics, data analysis, and data‑driven continuous improvement.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Program Management, and Quality teams.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, iterative environment with shifting priorities, aggressive schedules, and high accountability for results.

• NPI execution:
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