
Principal Quality Engineer
BAE Systems · Manassas, VA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $118k–$201k
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 6+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A senior quality role at BAE Systems (aerospace & defense) in Manassas, VA. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
- They ask for
- 6+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Root cause, SPC, FMEA, DOE, ISO 9001, AS9100
- Base pay
- $118k–$201k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
How this role compares
Against 12 other live quality postings in Virginia.
- Base pay
- About 68% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (6+ vs 5+)
Typical $76k–$114k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 77%
- Lean 54%
- ✓ FMEA 46%
- ✓ ISO 9001 46%
- Six Sigma 46%
- ✓ SPC 38%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for DOE, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at BAE Systems
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from BAE SystemsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Required Education, Experience, & Skills
- ✓Bachelor's Degree and 4-8+ years of relevant experience or 8-12+ years of relevant experience in lieu of degree
- ✓Semiconductor Knowledge: understanding of wafer fabrication, packaging assembly, and testing processes.
- ✓Quality Standards: understanding of/familiarity with military and commercial standards (i.e. MIL-STD-883, MIL-PRF-38535, MIL-PRF-38534, AS9100 and ISO 9001)
- ✓Quality Assurance: background/experience in Quality Assurance principles
- ✓Root Cause Analysis: working knowledge of methodologies like 8D, 5 Whys, and Fishbone diagrams.
- ✓Meticulous Attention to detail: Eye for microscopic defects and subtle data anomalies, swiftly and accurately identify any potential quality concerns.
- ✓Cross-Functional, Interpersonal Communication: Ability to bridge the gap between design, production, and external customers and suppliers. Good presentation skills, good writing skills. Report writing (e.g., audit reports, technical reports, qual reports). Review documentation for compliance and for clarity.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
- ✓Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a technical field
- ✓Reliability Testing: Experience with HTOL (High-Temperature Operating Life), and other TCI/QCI qualification testing. Familiar with mil-standard
requirements
for
qualifications
and familiar with reliability mechanisms (hot electrons, TDDB, electromigration, etc.)
- ✓Statistical Process Control: Skills in SPC, DoE (Design of Experiments), and AS9145 (FEMA), and AS9102 (PPV and FAI). Data analysis skills can enable a quality engineer to distill data and identify the relevant parts, and to translate data into a more easily understandable format that they can then share with other team members.
- ✓Risk Management: Ability to conduct Risk and Opportunity analysis and thorough FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) to prevent defects.
- ✓Auditing Confidence: Experience leading internal audits and managing quality assessments.
Pay Information
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems, Inc. BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.
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Job Description What is it like to work at BAE Systems?" Imagine being part of a team that designs, develops, and delivers cutting-edge products that make a tangible impact on national security and defense. At BAE Systems, you'll collaborate with talented professionals who share your passion for innovation and excellence, and have opportunities to grow and develop your skills in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
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