ShopFloorJobs
L

Rocket Motor Quality Engineer

L3Harris · Orange, VA

Apply on L3Harris ↗
Level
Engineer
Team
Quality
Base pay
$73k–$135k
Travel
10%
Degree
Required
Experience asked
4+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
25 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

An engineer-level quality role at L3Harris (aerospace & defense) in Orange, VA. 10% - Develop, implement and review corrective action and process improvements by benchmarking practices in other related areas.

They ask for
4+ years · degree required
Tools it names
Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, MSA / Gage R&R
Base pay
$73k–$135k
Day to day
some off-shift / weekend coverage · about 10% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Quality Engineer roles in Virginia: typical posted base $87k–$135k. This one lists $73k–$135k.

Median of the low and high ends of 12 live postings that list pay, out of 25 quality engineer openings in Virginia, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Virginia plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 24 other live quality postings in Virginia.

Base pay
In line with similar roles

Typical $87k–$119k, from 10 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Root cause 76%
  • ✓ Lean 60%
  • ✓ Six Sigma 60%
  • FMEA 44%
  • ISO 9001 36%
  • Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 28%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 4+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Off-shift / weekend coveragePromotion path mentioned

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. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at L3Harris

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 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. 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?
    • The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
  4. 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. 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: L3Harris in Orange

8 other open roles at this site.

All 9 roles at L3Harris →
Full description from L3HarrisAs posted on their careers site.Show

Essential Functions

Quality Engineers support defense propulsion programs to ensure customer specifications and engineering

requirements

are effectively met. Under general direction, this position performs quality engineering assignments requiring a wide application of advanced principles, theories and concepts on the manufacturing floor while working closely with different disciplines in an integrated product team.

  • ✓50% - Provide innovative, thorough and practical solutions to a wide range of technical challenges, involving the conventional utilization of quality engineering techniques. Conceive and plan projects involving the development of new methods of dimensional inspection objectives. Review engineering designs and specifications for translation into inspection verification methods.
  • ✓20% - Review manufacturing process planning to ensure compliance with drawing, specification and contractual requirements. Provide technical guidance to less senior quality engineers, inspection, manufacturing and test personnel.
  • ✓10% - Develop, implement and review corrective action and process improvements by benchmarking practices in other related areas.
  • ✓10% - Perform failure mode effect analysis of product design disclosure documents and specifications, utilizing inspection analysis tools and six sigma principles.
  • ✓10% - Determine gage and instrumentation adequacy. Perform gage R & R studies to determine process capabilities, needs and future usage.
  • ✓Ability to obtain a US Security Clearance.
  • ✓Travel: 10%.

Qualifications

  • ✓Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 4 years of prior Quality Engineering experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years of prior Quality Engineering experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 8 years of prior Quality Engineering experience.

requirements

for access to classified information.

By submitting your resume for this position, you understand and agree that L3Harris Technologies may share your resume, as well as any other related personal information or documentation you provide, with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies for the purpose of considering you for other available positions.

Show full description ↓

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.

L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Title: Rocket Motor Quality Engineer

Job Location: Orange, VA

Job Schedule: 4/10: Employees work 10 hour days, 4 days a week

Job Description

We are seeking a Rocket Motor Quality Engineering Specialist to join our team in Culpeper, VA. This position supports Defense propulsion manufacturing programs and is an exciting opportunity to take your career to the next level. Individuals in this role will gain exposure to some very specialized and unique manufacturing processes in the Aerospace industry.

Preferred Additional Skills

  • +Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical or Aerospace Engineering is preferred.
  • +Successful candidates should be detail-oriented, experienced in conducting root cause analysis and recommending data-driven corrective actions.
  • +CQE or LEAN / Six Sigma certifications strongly desired.
  • +Aerospace industry experience is highly desired.
  • +Experience working with and around chemicals and/or explosives is also desirable.
  • +Working with electrical and mechanical assemblies is a plus.

More Quality roles nearby