Sr Design Quality Engineer (Consumables)
Fortive · Irvine, CA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 15%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior quality role at Fortive (industrial) in Irvine, CA. Demonstrated proficiency in Risk Management, FMEAs, Design Control, Root Cause, and Design Verification and Validation methodologies.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Root cause, FMEA, Control plans, CAPA, ISO 13485
- Day to day
- about 15% travel
- Openings
- 2 with this title at this site
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $100k–$153k.
Median of the low and high ends of 119 live postings that list pay, out of 235 quality engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 234 other live quality postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$149k, from 115 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 76%
- ✓ FMEA 48%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 43%
- Supplier quality 43%
- AS9100 40%
- ISO 9001 35%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for ISO 13485, 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 Fortive
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?
- The posting says about 15% travel. Between which sites?
- 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.
This plant: Fortive in Irvine
1 other open role at this site.
- Value Stream Operations Manager · Lean / CI · Manager
Full description from FortiveAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
Provides design quality engineering guidance and support for New Product Introduction (NPI) and/or Product Life Cycle Management (LCM) activities with a focus on product quality while ensuring compliance to company-wide Quality Management System and regulatory
requirements
for life science products (electro-mechanical devices, biocides, detergents, biological indicators) . Provides specific quality engineering support to Risk Management, Quality improvements, Design Verification and Validation, and Design Control processes. Applies in-depth knowledge of quality engineering principals, relevant regulations, standards, industry best practices, and other related disciplines to assignments. Independently plans and executes complex projects and assignments within broad guidelines, exercising judgment based on analysis of multiple sources of information. Receives minimal guidance and acts as a resource for colleagues with less experience.
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Owns the Risk Management process, collaborating with representatives from other functional areas to facilitate risk analyses and design control processes, reviewing and approving design verification and validation documentation.
- ◆Performs complex technical investigations including formal NCs and CAPAs coordinating cross-functionally to ensure sound experimental design, effective analysis of multiple sources of information, appropriate risk analysis, design control, and verification and validation, and timely investigation closure.
- ◆Acts as a resource for colleagues in risk management, design control, verification and validation, or CAPA and supports new product introduction, design changes, and post-launch activities.
- ◆Provides training and informal guidance on quality management system elements to colleagues with less experience and representatives from other functional areas.
- ◆Uses best practices and knowledge of internal and external business issues to identify and recommend improvements to quality systems, products, and processes in alignment with quality and business objectives.
- ◆Supports and participates in cross-functional projects and may lead small projects with manageable risks and resource requirements.
- ◆Contributes technical improvements that enhance quality systems and support business goals. Applies appropriate tools and methods (e.g. 6-Sigma, Lean, Statistical methodologies) to improve products, processes, and services.
- ◆Participates in technical reviews, explains difficult or sensitive quality information, and works to build cross-functional consensus.
- ◆Ensures quality control plans are commensurate with product risk and consistently followed across own and related teams.
- ◆Communicates business-related issues and opportunities to the next management level and recommends appropriate actions within the role's scope.
- ◆Supports internal, external, and third-party audits as Quality Subject Matter Expert and responds to observations in support of compliance with quality management system elements.
- ◆Provides back-room support for third-party inspections and audits, such as Registrar, Notified Body, FDA, or customer audits.
- ◆May interface during audits with regulatory agencies or customers.
- ◆May interface with contract laboratories on behalf of ASP and works to build consensus on technical and quality requirements.
Education and Experience
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Science (Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, etc.) or other technical field. Engineering degree preferred.
- ✓At least 4 years of experience in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, or related field.
- ✓Minimum 3 years quality engineering experience in FDA or other regulated industry (medical device, pharmaceutical, aerospace, etc.) or equivalent.
Role and Competencies
Requirements
- ✓Outstanding business and technical communication skills (verbal, written, presentation).
- ✓Experience planning and executing projects, including small projects with manageable risks and resource requirements, critical path analysis, and analytical or microbiological method validation.
- ✓Ability to communicate in a cross-cultural environment.
- ✓Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint and other standard software.
- ✓Strong working knowledge of FDA QSR 21 CFR 820 / ISO13485 quality system
requirements
and knowledge of both regulatory
requirements
and other compliance areas.
- ✓Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple activities and responsibilities.
- ✓Demonstrated proficiency in Risk Management, FMEAs, Design Control, Root Cause, and Design Verification and Validation methodologies.
- ✓Conceptual and practical expertise in quality engineering, with basic knowledge of related disciplines and an understanding of how the quality function integrates with Operations, R&D, Field Service, Suppliers, Finance, and Marketing/Sales.
- ✓Demonstrated ability to work effectively across functions, build consensus, act as a resource for colleagues with less experience, and lead small projects with manageable risks and resource requirements.
- ✓Knowledge of Quality Engineering and Scientific methods (method development, method validation, method transfer), statistical analysis tools, and other techniques.
- ✓Fundamental technical understanding of manufacturing equipment and processes.
- ✓Ability to work independently with minimal guidance and within broad guidelines and policies.
- ✓Ability to explain difficult or sensitive information, build consensus, and interact effectively with peers, colleagues, and stakeholders. Self-motivated.
- ✓Travel: Domestic, up to 15%
- ✓Lifting requirement: Medium (16-30 lbs).
Fortive Corporation Overview
Fortive's essential technology makes the world safer and more productive. We accelerate transformation in high-impact fields like workplace safety, build environments, and healthcare.
We are a global industrial technology innovator with a startup spirit. Our forward-looking companies lead the way in healthcare sterilization,
