Attalon is a global leader in optics and laser solutions. Our Richmond, California facility specializes in the manufacture of precision optical components and assemblies. This site combines advanced engineering, mechatronics, and high‑precision manufacturing to support cutting‑edge technology across multiple industries.
Job TitleSr. Principal Program Manager - Aerospace and Defense
Job DetailsAttalon delivers engineered optical, opto‑mechanical, and precision subsystem solutions for aerospace, defense, and commercial customers.
The Sr. Principal Program Manager is an individual contributor who leads complex programs from contract award through engineering, manufacturing, qualification, and delivery. This role owns full lifecycle execution of technically sophisticated hardware and subsystems, ensuring scope, schedule, cost, risk, and customer satisfaction objectives are met.
The PM serves as the central integration point across engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, finance, and business development. Success requires strong technical fluency, disciplined program execution, proactive risk management, and clear communication with demanding defense and commercial customers.
ResponsibilitiesLead program execution from sales handoff through delivery.Serve as the primary customer interface for technical and schedule updates.Maintain integrated schedules, execution plans, and cross‑functional alignment.Own program financials: revenue, cost, margin, forecasting, and corrective actions.Identify and mitigate technical, schedule, supply chain, and financial risks.Drive cross‑functional performance in a matrixed environment.Manage scope and contract changes.Deliver required program documentation and reporting.Resolve technical and quality issues with internal teams and customers.Support proposals, vendor evaluations, feasibility reviews, and follow‑on opportunities.Ensure compliance with ISO, regulatory, and export‑control requirements.Minimum QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Engineering, Applied Science, or related technical discipline.12+ years of program/project management in aerospace, defense, optics, or complex hardware (or 10+ with advanced degree).Experience leading technically complex hardware or opto‑mechanical programs.Direct experience with aerospace, commercial, or government customers.Proven cross‑functional leadership in a matrixed environment.Due to program requirements, U.S. Citizenship is requiredPreferred QualificationsMaster’s degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Business.Experience with aerospace prime or commercial programs.Background in optics, optical systems, or precision subsystem manufacturing.Familiarity with risk management frameworks and readiness reviews.Experience with ISO 9001 or AS9100 environments.Proficiency with tools such as Wrike.Strong executive‑level presentation skills.For California, the base salary pay range for this role is $122,750.00 - $221,000.00
Please note this range is provided as a general guideline. When determining an offer, Attalon takes into account multiple factors, including (but not limited to) the responsibilities of the position, your professional experience, education and training, specialized skills, and current market and business conditions.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessThe Design Engineering Manager will oversee the Opto-Mechanical Design Engineering Department at Attalon Optical Systems, managing and training a team of highly skilled engineers. This role includes leading and coordinating the department’s design efforts to develop innovative components, products, and systems while ensuring efficient use of personnel, equipment, and resources. The Design Engineering Manager will also handle personnel responsibilities such as recruiting, hiring, performance evaluations, and salary adjustments for the department.
During busy times, the Design Engineering Manager will work alongside the team by contributing hands‑on opto‑mechanical design or structural analysis to ensure departmental goals are met.Responsibilities
• Assign short-term and long-term tasks effectively to appropriate team members, ensuring optimal workload distribution and productivity.
• Oversee design activities related to concept development and engineering specifications, ensuring alignment with program financial goals. Provide workload estimates and status updates to program management.
• Write, review, and deliver clear and detailed engineering reports, white papers, and presentations (e.g., diagrams, flowcharts, PowerPoints). Lead brainstorming sessions, organize effective meetings, and inspire, influence, and guide teams to success.
• Maintain and improve design engineering department processes, as well as the design-related section of the Attalon Optical Systems Engineering Standards Manual. Support audits and ensure compliance with the Attalon Optical Systems Quality Management System (QMS).
• Assist in developing department goals and organizational objectives through technical expertise and strategic business planning. Support long-term growth and company excellence.
• Lead interdisciplinary, cross-functioning teams on projects with key technological and business impacts. Provide mentorship and task assignments to maximize team members’ strengths and foster professional development.
• Create a supportive, motivating, and collaborative team environment. Champion professional growth by identifying opportunities and delivering constructive feedback to team members. Regularly share and transfer knowledge to elevate departmental expertise.
• Ensure product design and processes meet customer specifications and technical requirements for all development projects.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies and anticipate future needs (2+ years ahead). Attend conferences, trade shows, and related events, and report findings and assessments as appropriate.
• Support business development and programs with technical advice and leadership for design projects. Actively contribute to proposal preparation, writing, and customer presentations.
• Participate in the quotation process by reviewing customer requirements, designs, and specifications to ensure manufacturability and identify any development or technical gaps.
• Conduct performance reviews and provide mentorship for direct reports, promoting team growth and performance excellence.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline (optical or mechanical engineering preferred).
• 10+ years’ experience in mechanical design using CAD software.
• 5+ years’ experience managing direct reports, preferably within an aerospace or defense engineering organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing opto-mechanical assemblies.
• Knowledge of FEA tools and applying boundary conditions effectively.
• Strong leadership abilities, personnel management, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in process design, development, and technical planning.
• Proficiency in preparing and maintaining design-related documents including drawings, procedures, work instructions, and Bills of Material, in alignment with document and configuration control requirements.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing standards (ISO 9000, AS9100, ANSI standards).
• Expertise in flowing requirements from customer specifications into mechanical designs and drawings.
• Experience writing technical proposals and contributing to high-impact projects.
For California, the salary range for this position is: $117,645 - $211,830 per year.
Please note this range is provided as a general guideline. When determining an offer, Attalon takes into account multiple factors, including (but not limited to) the responsibilities of the position, your professional experience, education and training, specialized skills, and current market and business conditions.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Attalon is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company created in 2025 when Advent International carved out Coherent's Aerospace & Defense division. Attalon develops and produces mission‑critical optical systems, precision coatings, and advanced laser subsystems used in ISR&T, space, missile, and directed‑energy applications.
Principal Opto-Mechanical Design Engineer
Conceive and develop optical, mechanical, and opto‑mechanical system and subsystem layouts. Create highly complex designs, collaborate with cross‑functional partners to ensure optimal system performance, and deliver fast, efficient opto‑mechanical concepts using 3D solid‑modeling tools aligned with customer requirements. Provide support to Engineering, Program Management, and Operations through the design and development of models used for analysis, prototyping, production, and mechanical manufacturing activities as assigned.
Responsibilities
• Design intricate opto‑mechanical components and assemblies (such as telescopes and sensors) for airborne and space platforms.
• Lead product design initiatives and process development efforts, ensuring all specifications and technical requirements are met.
• Support program management by offering technical guidance and recommendations.
• Resolve fabrication issues, conduct root‑cause evaluations, and produce clear technical documentation.
• Coordinate design engineering tasks and contribute to conceptual and R&D initiatives for emerging technologies.
• Produce drawings, procedures, work instructions, and Bills of Materials in accordance with document and configuration control standards.
• Assist Business Development by supporting proposals, customer presentations, and quotes for prospective programs.
• Provide tooling design support for new and ongoing efforts and create assembly/testing procedures.
• Improve existing designs and processes to identify and implement enhancements.
• Ensure designs align with program financial objectives, including providing estimates and status updates to program managers.
• Determine the manufacturability of design concepts and participate in troubleshooting and testing activities for assigned programs.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree with 9+ years of experience
• Strong grasp of optical and mechanical design principles, with the ability to apply engineering theories effectively.
• Significant experience with CAD software; SolidWorks is preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree with 7+ years; or Ph.D. with 4+ years in mechanical engineering or a related field.
• Proven ability to deliver results both independently and in team settings, along with strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
• Robust mechanical design skills with CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred) and familiarity with FEA software (Simcenter or FEMAP preferred).
• Expertise in designing optical systems for advanced light sources, including detailed tolerance analysis, manufacturability, and cost considerations.
• Experience applying design‑for‑assembly and integration practices to complex opto‑mechanical devices, including tolerance stack‑up analysis.
• Knowledge of metal machining and optical fabrication processes (grinding, polishing, coating, testing).
• Understanding of thermal, mechanical, vibration, and shock influences on optical systems.
• Technical experience with optical alignment tools, metrology, and assembly procedures.
• Familiarity with materials used in refractive systems across IR, SWIR, NIR, Visible, and UV spectra, as well as mechanical substrates and coatings.
• Experience working with vendors/suppliers for optics, mechanical parts, tooling, and coatings.
• Skilled in troubleshooting and supporting alignment, testing, and analysis activities for opto‑mechanical systems.
For California, the salary range for this position is: $105,225 – $186,300 per year.
This range is intended as a general guideline. Actual offers are determined based on multiple factors, including (but not limited to) job responsibilities, your experience, education and training, specialized skills, and current market and business conditions.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company formed through the 2025 carve-out of Coherent's Aerospace & Defense division by Advent International. Attalon designs and manufactures mission-critical optical systems, precision coatings, and advanced laser subsystems for ISR&T, space, missiles, and directed energy applications.
At our Tustin location, we design and manufacture telescopes for applications ranging from targeting pods to deep‑space astronomy, delivering precision optical performance across air, space, and ground platforms.
Supplier Quality Engineer / QMS Auditor
We are seeking a Supplier Quality Engineer / QMS Auditor to join our team and lead efforts in supplier quality management, Quality Management System (QMS) auditing, and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) coordination. This role is critical to ensuring that our suppliers adhere to established quality standards, industry requirements, and best practices, while also conducting QMS audits to maintain compliance with relevant certifications (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100). The ideal candidate will bring strong knowledge of quality methodologies, auditing, supplier development, and the ability to drive continuous improvement across the supply chain.
Core Responsibilities:
PPAP process management: Ensure supplier compliance during production ramp-up.QMS auditing: Enforce supplier and internal adherence to quality management standards.Supplier accountability: Drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.Collaboration and reporting: Act as a liaison between suppliers, production teams, and the Quality department.Supplier Quality Management:
Establish, manage, and maintain relationships with suppliers to develop and ensure adherence to quality standards and company policies.Lead and manage PPAP submissions to ensure proper validation of supplier manufacturing processes and components prior to production launch.Review and approve supplier PPAP packages, including dimensional reports, material certifications, control plans, FMEA, and capability studies.Collaborate with suppliers to resolve any discrepancies or issues discovered during the PPAP process.Ensure suppliers' compliance with contract requirements, engineering specifications, and industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, NADCAP).Monitor and evaluate supplier performance using key metrics such as quality defects, delivery performance, and responsiveness to corrective actions.Drive supplier development programs to enhance quality, mitigate risks, and improve manufacturing and operational capabilities.QMS Auditing and Compliance:
Conduct internal audits and supplier audits to ensure compliance with QMS standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100).Evaluate suppliers' Quality Management Systems (QMS) to verify alignment with safety, operational, regulatory, and industry-specific requirements.Manage audit schedules, develop and maintain audit checklists, and prepare audit reports detailing findings, observations, and corrective actions required.Collaborate with suppliers to implement corrective actions and drive continuous improvement based on audit results.Support external third-party QMS audits and ensure proper documentation, record-keeping, and preparation.Document Control and Regulatory Compliance:
Maintain quality documentation, including PPAP records, corrective action plans (CAPA), audit reports, and calibration logs.Ensure document control compliance as part of QMS processes, including revision control, proper storage, and accessibility.Assist suppliers in achieving compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks, such as REACH, RoHS, and Conflict Minerals standards.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Industrial Engineering, Quality Assurance, or related technical field (or equivalent experience).Experience: Minimum 5 years in Supplier Quality Engineering, PPAP coordination, internal auditing, and/or similar quality assurance roles.Direct experience with QMS standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100.Demonstrated knowledge of PPAP processes, including FMEA, process validation methods, and control plans.Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).Experience with quality management software, ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle), and document control platforms.Understanding of engineering drawings, specifications, and GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing).Preferred Qualifications
Professional certifications such as Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.Auditor certification for ISO 9001, AS9100, or other relevant standards.Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles.Experience in supplier development and performance metrics reporting.Strong expertise in PPAP processes, quality tools, and statistical techniques (e.g., SPC, Gage R&R, and process capability).Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as REACH, RoHS, Conflict Minerals, or other industry-specific requirements.Excellent problem-solving abilities utilizing methodologies like 8D, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and CAPA.Proficient in QMS auditing principles and techniques.Strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with suppliers and cross-functional teams.Highly organized with strong attention to detail.For California, the salary pay range for this role is $84,294 - $144,072 per year
Please note this range is provided as a general guideline. When determining an offer, Attalon takes into account multiple factors, including (but not limited to) the responsibilities of the position, your professional experience, education and training, specialized skills, and current market and business conditions.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon is hiring a Director of Quality to oversee and optimize its quality operations across three business segments. Each business segment is supported by its own local quality team, responsible for managing day-to-day Quality Management System (QMS) functions. As the company’s most senior quality leader, this person will wear two hats, leading both a local quality team at one of our sites and providing enterprise-wide guidance to the functional quality organization. This role is pivotal in providing strategic direction, implementing industry best practices, and ensuring alignment across all manufacturing and engineering activities. It is a highly visible position, offering significant exposure to the business leadership team.
The ideal candidate will embody a “player-coach” mindset, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution. Alongside leading local teams, this role involves directly managing tasks such as critical root-cause analyses, compliance mapping, and high-stakes customer quality reviews. The quality function supports a wide range of programs through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and a successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with Program Managers across the organization, identifying opportunities to enhance customer outcomes through rigorous quality improvements.
Responsibilities
As the Director of Quality, your primary responsibilities will include:
Quality Strategy: Formulate and execute comprehensive enterprise-wide quality strategies that drive product excellence across all business units and programs.QMS Alignment: Define and implement corporate standards and processes that align Attalon's enterprise quality management and with local quality management systems with aerospace industry best practices.Regulatory & Standards Compliance: Ensure full compliance with aerospace regulations and maintain strict adherence to AS9100 across all sites.Supplier Quality Governance: Partner with supply chain teams to embed rigorous supplier quality metrics into vendor selection, flow down requirements, and oversee critical supplier audits.CAPA & Continuous Improvement: Direct the corporate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) program, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to minimize process variations and scrap rates.IPT Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Integrated Product Teams to ensure quality-by-design principles are met during product development and qualification phases.Performance Metrics: Develop, implement, and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality, First Pass Yield, Escapes) to measure and improve organizational performance.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, or a related technical field.10+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.5+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills.Demonstrated experience managing AS9100 compliance, First Article Inspections (AS9102), and Material Review Board (MRB) processes.Experience utilizing advanced quality tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Root Cause Analysis (8D/5-Whys).Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field.15+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.10+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills in a multi-site business.ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).Six Sigma Black Belt certification.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon is hiring a Director of Quality to oversee and optimize its quality operations across three business segments. Each business segment is supported by its own local quality team, responsible for managing day-to-day Quality Management System (QMS) functions. As the company’s most senior quality leader, this person will wear two hats, leading both a local quality team at one of our sites and providing enterprise-wide guidance to the functional quality organization. This role is pivotal in providing strategic direction, implementing industry best practices, and ensuring alignment across all manufacturing and engineering activities. It is a highly visible position, offering significant exposure to the business leadership team.
The ideal candidate will embody a “player-coach” mindset, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution. Alongside leading local teams, this role involves directly managing tasks such as critical root-cause analyses, compliance mapping, and high-stakes customer quality reviews. The quality function supports a wide range of programs through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and a successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with Program Managers across the organization, identifying opportunities to enhance customer outcomes through rigorous quality improvements.
Responsibilities
As the Director of Quality, your primary responsibilities will include:
Quality Strategy: Formulate and execute comprehensive enterprise-wide quality strategies that drive product excellence across all business units and programs.QMS Alignment: Define and implement corporate standards and processes that align Attalon's enterprise quality management and with local quality management systems with aerospace industry best practices.Regulatory & Standards Compliance: Ensure full compliance with aerospace regulations and maintain strict adherence to AS9100 across all sites.Supplier Quality Governance: Partner with supply chain teams to embed rigorous supplier quality metrics into vendor selection, flow down requirements, and oversee critical supplier audits.CAPA & Continuous Improvement: Direct the corporate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) program, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to minimize process variations and scrap rates.IPT Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Integrated Product Teams to ensure quality-by-design principles are met during product development and qualification phases.Performance Metrics: Develop, implement, and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality, First Pass Yield, Escapes) to measure and improve organizational performance.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, or a related technical field.10+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.5+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills.Demonstrated experience managing AS9100 compliance, First Article Inspections (AS9102), and Material Review Board (MRB) processes.Experience utilizing advanced quality tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Root Cause Analysis (8D/5-Whys).Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field.15+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.10+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills in a multi-site business.ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).Six Sigma Black Belt certification.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon is hiring a Director of Quality to oversee and optimize its quality operations across three business segments. Each business segment is supported by its own local quality team, responsible for managing day-to-day Quality Management System (QMS) functions. As the company’s most senior quality leader, this person will wear two hats, leading both a local quality team at one of our sites and providing enterprise-wide guidance to the functional quality organization. This role is pivotal in providing strategic direction, implementing industry best practices, and ensuring alignment across all manufacturing and engineering activities. It is a highly visible position, offering significant exposure to the business leadership team.
The ideal candidate will embody a “player-coach” mindset, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution. Alongside leading local teams, this role involves directly managing tasks such as critical root-cause analyses, compliance mapping, and high-stakes customer quality reviews. The quality function supports a wide range of programs through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and a successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with Program Managers across the organization, identifying opportunities to enhance customer outcomes through rigorous quality improvements.
Responsibilities
As the Director of Quality, your primary responsibilities will include:
Quality Strategy: Formulate and execute comprehensive enterprise-wide quality strategies that drive product excellence across all business units and programs.QMS Alignment: Define and implement corporate standards and processes that align Attalon's enterprise quality management and with local quality management systems with aerospace industry best practices.Regulatory & Standards Compliance: Ensure full compliance with aerospace regulations and maintain strict adherence to AS9100 across all sites.Supplier Quality Governance: Partner with supply chain teams to embed rigorous supplier quality metrics into vendor selection, flow down requirements, and oversee critical supplier audits.CAPA & Continuous Improvement: Direct the corporate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) program, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to minimize process variations and scrap rates.IPT Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Integrated Product Teams to ensure quality-by-design principles are met during product development and qualification phases.Performance Metrics: Develop, implement, and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality, First Pass Yield, Escapes) to measure and improve organizational performance.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, or a related technical field.10+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.5+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills.Demonstrated experience managing AS9100 compliance, First Article Inspections (AS9102), and Material Review Board (MRB) processes.Experience utilizing advanced quality tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Root Cause Analysis (8D/5-Whys).Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field.15+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.10+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills in a multi-site business.ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).Six Sigma Black Belt certification.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon is hiring a Director of Quality to oversee and optimize its quality operations across three business segments. Each business segment is supported by its own local quality team, responsible for managing day-to-day Quality Management System (QMS) functions. As the company’s most senior quality leader, this person will wear two hats, leading both a local quality team at one of our sites and providing enterprise-wide guidance to the functional quality organization. This role is pivotal in providing strategic direction, implementing industry best practices, and ensuring alignment across all manufacturing and engineering activities. It is a highly visible position, offering significant exposure to the business leadership team.
The ideal candidate will embody a “player-coach” mindset, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution. Alongside leading local teams, this role involves directly managing tasks such as critical root-cause analyses, compliance mapping, and high-stakes customer quality reviews. The quality function supports a wide range of programs through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and a successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with Program Managers across the organization, identifying opportunities to enhance customer outcomes through rigorous quality improvements.
Responsibilities
As the Director of Quality, your primary responsibilities will include:
Quality Strategy: Formulate and execute comprehensive enterprise-wide quality strategies that drive product excellence across all business units and programs.QMS Alignment: Define and implement corporate standards and processes that align Attalon's enterprise quality management and with local quality management systems with aerospace industry best practices.Regulatory & Standards Compliance: Ensure full compliance with aerospace regulations and maintain strict adherence to AS9100 across all sites.Supplier Quality Governance: Partner with supply chain teams to embed rigorous supplier quality metrics into vendor selection, flow down requirements, and oversee critical supplier audits.CAPA & Continuous Improvement: Direct the corporate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) program, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to minimize process variations and scrap rates.IPT Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Integrated Product Teams to ensure quality-by-design principles are met during product development and qualification phases.Performance Metrics: Develop, implement, and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality, First Pass Yield, Escapes) to measure and improve organizational performance.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, or a related technical field.10+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.5+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills.Demonstrated experience managing AS9100 compliance, First Article Inspections (AS9102), and Material Review Board (MRB) processes.Experience utilizing advanced quality tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Root Cause Analysis (8D/5-Whys).Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field.15+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.10+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills in a multi-site business.ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).Six Sigma Black Belt certification.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon is hiring a Director of Quality to oversee and optimize its quality operations across three business segments. Each business segment is supported by its own local quality team, responsible for managing day-to-day Quality Management System (QMS) functions. As the company’s most senior quality leader, this person will wear two hats, leading both a local quality team at one of our sites and providing enterprise-wide guidance to the functional quality organization. This role is pivotal in providing strategic direction, implementing industry best practices, and ensuring alignment across all manufacturing and engineering activities. It is a highly visible position, offering significant exposure to the business leadership team.
The ideal candidate will embody a “player-coach” mindset, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution. Alongside leading local teams, this role involves directly managing tasks such as critical root-cause analyses, compliance mapping, and high-stakes customer quality reviews. The quality function supports a wide range of programs through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and a successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with Program Managers across the organization, identifying opportunities to enhance customer outcomes through rigorous quality improvements.
Responsibilities
As the Director of Quality, your primary responsibilities will include:
Quality Strategy: Formulate and execute comprehensive enterprise-wide quality strategies that drive product excellence across all business units and programs.QMS Alignment: Define and implement corporate standards and processes that align Attalon's enterprise quality management and with local quality management systems with aerospace industry best practices.Regulatory & Standards Compliance: Ensure full compliance with aerospace regulations and maintain strict adherence to AS9100 across all sites.Supplier Quality Governance: Partner with supply chain teams to embed rigorous supplier quality metrics into vendor selection, flow down requirements, and oversee critical supplier audits.CAPA & Continuous Improvement: Direct the corporate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) program, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to minimize process variations and scrap rates.IPT Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Integrated Product Teams to ensure quality-by-design principles are met during product development and qualification phases.Performance Metrics: Develop, implement, and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality, First Pass Yield, Escapes) to measure and improve organizational performance.Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, or a related technical field.10+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.5+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills.Demonstrated experience managing AS9100 compliance, First Article Inspections (AS9102), and Material Review Board (MRB) processes.Experience utilizing advanced quality tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Root Cause Analysis (8D/5-Whys).Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field.15+ years of experience working in a quality assurance or quality engineering role.10+ years working for an aerospace & defense focused business.10+ years of demonstrated leadership skills in a multi-site business.ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).Six Sigma Black Belt certification.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
Read LessAttalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light and heat. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.
Attalon, located in Northeast Philadelphia, specializes in the manufacture of precision patterned optics, calibration grids, reticles, and specialty patterned products for the commercial and defense markets. The Philadelphia site is located in close proximity to major highways and transportation hubs, providing easy access to the surrounding Bucks County and Center City Philadelphia areas. The Greater Philadelphia area is a dynamic economic hub that combines world-class healthcare, education, and industrial sectors with rich cultural heritage and diverse communities, making it an ideal region for both career advancement and quality living.
Job Details
As a Senior Project Engineer, you will lead technical teams and coordinate engineering activities for the design, development, qualification, and implementation of new products, equipment, and manufacturing processes. This experienced professional role requires the ability to resolve a wide range of technical and manufacturing issues, provide sound judgment across complex project situations, and lead projects of diverse scope from concept through production. The Senior Project Engineer supports program management, operations, quality, manufacturing engineering, and business development teams by ensuring products meet customer specifications, are manufacturable, and are executed in alignment with program cost, schedule, and technical objectives.
This position will support aerospace and defense programs. The successful candidate will provide technical guidance on assigned projects, support acceptance and qualification testing, troubleshoot production and yield issues, participate in configuration and change control activities, provide mechanical designs and drawings of parts, assemblies, and systems, and contribute to customer technical meetings and proposal development.
Key Responsibilities
Lead technical teams and coordinate engineering activities for design, development, qualification, and implementation of new products and manufacturing processes.Serve as a technical lead on projects of diverse scope, using experience and judgment to resolve a wide range of engineering, manufacturing, and program execution issues.Ensure product designs meet customer specifications, technical requirements, manufacturability expectations, and internal process capabilities.Develop and maintain design documentation, test procedures, Bills of Materials, manufacturing work instructions, process routers, drawings, and related configuration-controlled documentation.Support program management with technical advice, financial estimates, schedule inputs, risk identification, and status updates on assigned programs.Review customer drawings and requirements during quotation and proposal activities; identify technical risks, exceptions, development needs, and conceptual manufacturing plans.Develop qualification and acceptance test procedures, coordinate testing activities, analyze results, and document compliance to customer requirements.Troubleshoot product quality, production yield, and fabrication issues; lead root-cause analysis and corrective action efforts with manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, and operations.Support business development through participation in technical meetings, presentations, and technical proposal preparation.Participate in configuration control, change control, MRB, ECO, NOR, RCN, and related program support activities.Serve as a process/design owner for assigned internally developed equipment and products, ensuring process changes are documented, communicated, and successfully implemented in production.Provide guidance, coaching, and training to project engineers, operators, technicians, and cross-functional team members as needed.Promote safe, compliant, and effective manufacturing practices consistent with company policies and regulatory guidelines.Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline; materials science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineeringMinimum of 7 years of project engineering experience supporting aerospace and/or defense customers.Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects, coordinate cross-functional teams, and resolve broad engineering and manufacturing issues with limited supervision.Strong verbal and written technical communication skills, including the ability to lead internal and customer-facing technical presentations.Ability to read and interpret customer drawings, GD&T, specifications, process documentation, and technical requirements.Experience preparing and maintaining drawings, procedures, process routers, Bills of Materials, test documentation, and configuration-controlled records.Strong analytical, fault-isolation, root-cause analysis, and problem-solving skills; DOE/SOE experience strongly desired.Working knowledge of production flow, manufacturing planning, process design, development, and project planning.Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and related business tools.Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, reliability, customer focus, teamwork, and results orientation.Preferred Qualifications
Experience with motion controls systems and their design for automation.Experience with ceramics manufacturing, additive manufacturing, or other advanced and emergent manufacturing techniques.Solid modeling (CAD) experience, with SolidWorks experience a plus. FEA experience is also a plus.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Export Control Compliance
This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.
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