Quality Systems Engineer at Castelion in Torrance, CA

Job description

Why Castelion, Why Now Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus, ownership, and excellence are decisive advantages - and we're building a world-class team to turn bold ideas into real capability. This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where you'll have significant ownership, collaborate with exceptional teammates, and make a direct, measurable impact on our mission and the future of the company - regardless of your function. Quality Systems Engineer The Quality Systems Engineer will be responsible for managing Castelion's quality management system and ensuring compliance with aerospace industry standards and regulatory requirements across all sites. Reporting to the Quality and Compliance Manager, this role will lead internal and external audits, maintain certifications (AS9100, NADCAP, and others), coordinate corrective actions. This position will also support the Supplier Quality team by conducting AS9100 audits of suppliers, evaluating suppliers' compliance on an as needed basis. This role requires creative, non-traditional thinking about compliance—someone who can embrace the spirit of AS9100 while making compliance as frictionless as possible for the organization. The successful candidate will operate as a true support function, partnering with teams to solve compliance challenges rather than simply identifying issues and assigning corrective actions. As the company scales, this role will be instrumental in establishing robust compliance processes and may grow to lead a small team. Responsibilities Quality Management System (QMS) Oversight Manage and maintain Castelion's non-traditional Quality Management System in accordance with AS9100 and other applicable standards, while challenging conventional approaches to make compliance more efficient. Oversee document control processes, ensuring procedures, work instructions, and quality records are current, accessible, and compliant—while streamlining wherever possible. Conduct regular gap analyses and risk assessments to identify and address compliance vulnerabilities. Facilitate management reviews and ensure timely closure of action items. Drive continuous improvement of QMS processes to support rapid growth and scaling, always seeking creative solutions that maintain compliance rigor while reducing friction. Manage corrective actions as they apply to the QMS. Ensuring timely investigation, root cause analysis, and closure of quality issues. Take ownership of successful resolution and track and trend non-conformances to identify systemic issues and drive preventive actions. Monitor effectiveness of corrective actions and prevent recurrence. Audit Management Plan, schedule, and conduct internal audits across all Castelion sites to ensure compliance with AS9100, NADCAP, and customer-specific requirements. Coordinate external audits including registrar audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections. Serve as a liaison with external auditors and certification bodies (e.g., registrars, PRI for NADCAP, customer quality representatives). Lead preparation activities for all audits, including cross-functional coordination and evidence gathering. Identify audit findings and work collaboratively with process owners to develop and implement effective solutions. Supplier Quality Support Conduct AS9100 style audits of suppliers on behalf of the Supplier Quality team to assess compliance and capability. Provide detailed audit reports and recommendations to support supplier approval and qualification decisions. Support supplier development activities by identifying gaps and partnering to implement corrective actions. Coordinate supplier corrective actions and track closure of supplier-related quality issues. Certification and Regulatory Compliance Maintain AS9100 certification and lead recertification activities. Manage NADCAP certifications and coordinate specialt