Quality Engineer (Electronics)
Neros Technologies · Torrance, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $101k–$162k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 16 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level quality role at Neros Technologies (aerospace & defense) in Torrance, CA.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, SPC, FMEA, Control plans, ISO 9001, AS9100
- Base pay
- $101k–$162k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $101k–$149k. This one lists $101k–$162k.
Median of the low and high ends of 84 live postings that list pay, out of 179 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 178 other live quality postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 6% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$148k, from 81 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 78%
- ✓ FMEA 56%
- Supplier quality 49%
- ✓ AS9100 44%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 44%
- ✓ ISO 9001 40%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Welding, Painting / coating, 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 Neros Technologies
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 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: Neros Technologies in Torrance
12 other open roles at this site.
- Senior Quality Engineer Electro-Mechanical Assembly · Quality · Senior
- Senior Quality Engineer (Electronics) · Quality · Senior
- Quality Engineer Electro-Mechanical Assembly · Quality
- Quality Specialist · Quality · Specialist
- SMT Process Engineer · Process
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
Full description from Neros TechnologiesAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What you will be doing
As a Quality Engineer at Neros, you’ll own electronics build quality across the factory as we scale production, from PCBAs and harnesses to battery packs. You’ll be the first call when an electronics issue shows up on the line, working with Manufacturing and Engineering to contain it, find the root cause, and make sure every unit survives and performs in contested environments. We’re looking for a hands-on engineer with electronics hardware manufacturing experience, a proactive, ownership-driven approach to solving problems, and a proven ability to perform in fast-moving production environments.
Responsibilities
- ◆Own day-to-day electronics build quality across PCBAs, soldering, harnesses, cables, and battery packs; act as first responder for line issues, disposition defects, contain suspect product, and run electronics MRB
- ◆Lead electronics root cause investigations in partnership with Engineering and verify that corrective actions hold on the line
- ◆Track FPY, defect Pareto, scrap/rework, and escapes; use SPC to detect process drift and run regular build-quality reviews to drive top issues to closure
- ◆Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering to add data-driven in-line checks and error-proofing, reduce inspection as processes prove capable, and feed defect data back into design for quality
- ◆Create and maintain inspection plans and first article inspections for new builds, board revisions, and process changes; review work instructions and inspection criteria for clear, objective, verifiable
requirements
- ✓Certify inspectors and operators to IPC workmanship standards and own and audit the factory ESD control plan
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Who we are
Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.
As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy.
You should have the following
- •Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or physics
- •2+ years in a quality, manufacturing, reliability, or electrical design engineering role
- •Experience with SMT processes and inspection (solder paste, reflow, AOI, X-ray, ICT or flying probe) and their common defect modes
- •Experience with secondary and post-SMT processes, such as through-hole soldering, component preparation (lead forming, tinning, de-golding), and conformal coating, and their common defect modes
- •Proficiency in SQL and Python, including querying production databases and analyzing manufacturing and test data
Nice to have
- +Experience supporting high-volume electronics production, ideally during a production ramp; experience with ISO 9001 or AS9100 quality systems in defense or aerospace
- +Working knowledge of RCCA and structured problem solving (8D, 5 Whys, fishbone), PFMEA, control plans, FAI (AS9102 or similar), and SPC
- +Strong working knowledge of IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and IPC/WHMA-A-620; knowledge of ESD control programs (ANSI/ESD S20.20)
- +Familiarity with lithium-ion cells and battery pack quality requirements, including cell matching, weld inspection, and BMS verification; comfort with oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and basic RF test equipment
- +Familiarity with drones, RC aircraft, or FPV hardware. If you’ve soldered your own ESCs and debugged your own video feed, we want to hear about it
$100,500 - $162,000 USD