Lead Process and Quality Engineer

Who We Are

North Vector Dynamics is a Canadian-owned and controlled defence technology company specializing in precision interception, autonomy, and advanced propulsion. NVD is building a full-spectrum missile capability, from counter-UAS solutions to hypersonics, designed to serve and defend NATO member states and their allies and partners.

About the Role

North Vector Dynamics is building next-generation defence systems, and the CM70 is moving from prototype builds to a controlled, repeatable production line. We’re looking for a QA Compliance Lead/Process Engineer to own how our platforms are built on the shop floor: assembly routings, work instructions, quality data collection, and the continuous improvement of all three across supply chains.

Reporting to the Head of Manufacturing directly, you’ll be the lead process owner for our pilot line and the first engineer to deploy our Manufacturing Execution System (MES) on it, turning hard-won prototype know-how into a documented, traceable, audit-ready process.

In addition, you will stand up our initial control plans, and quality assurance system(s) documentation to prepare the team for AS9100 certification; and assist the Manufacturing Engineering team in standing up a proper supply chain system.

This is a ground-floor role for someone who is technically rigorous, data-driven, and energized by building systems from a clean sheet rather than inheriting them. You’ll work side by side with our technicians and design engineers, along with senior leadership and your work will define how North Vector Dynamics builds hardware as we scale.

If you want to stand up a production system that will one day support platforms in the field, saves lives, and serves sovereign national interest - this role was written for you.

What You’ll Do

Process Engineering

• Map current CM70 assembly and build the production routings, process flows, and station layouts for our pilot line: defining each operation, its inputs, tooling, and quality checks.

• Write and maintain electronic work instructions, SOPs, and visual job aids under document and revision control, so every technician builds the same way, every time.

• Lead the process side of our MES rollout: configuring routings, station consumption, conducting time studies for takt optimizations, serialization and genealogy, and data collection points so every build is traceable from component to completed workpiece.

• Define critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics, inspection points, and quality gates for each operation; lead PFMEAs and control plans, and feed design-for-manufacturability (DFM) input back to engineering and drive overall improvements to the PD cycle.

• Stand up our non-conformance (NCR/MRB) workflow and drive root cause and corrective action, closing the loop between what fails on the floor and what changes in the process or design.

• Build processes that meet AS9100 and Controlled Goods Program requirements: supporting first article inspections, process validation, and internal dry-run audits using MES traceability records.

• Track yield, cycle time, first-pass yield, and OEE; use data and SPC to find and remove waste and variation, and lead kaizen, 5S, and line-balancing efforts as volumes increase.

• Support the layout, fixture, tooling, and equipment specification for our new manufacturing space, and help define how MES, ERP, and PLM/PDM data flow together.

• Assess engineering changes for their impact on routings, tooling, and work instructions before release, and train technicians on every new or updated process.

Quality & Compliance

• Build and own our Quality Management System from the ground up: (supplier) internal quality manual, procedures, document and record control, and the gap assessment and roadmap that take us to AS9100 certification, serving as the primary contact with our registrar.

• Establish and run our internal audit program, and host customer, registrar, and government audits (including Controlled Goods Program inspections), driving every finding through to verified closure.

• Own the corrective and preventive action (CAPA) system and the Material Review Board (MRB): dispositioning non-conforming product, and reporting quality performance to senior leadership through regular management reviews.

• Stand up supplier quality alongside the Manufacturing Engineering team: approved supplier list, supplier qualification and audits, incoming and source inspection, flow-down of quality and regulatory requirements on purchase orders, and supplier corrective action requests.

• Own product acceptance and configuration conformity: ensuring every as-built matches its released configuration, approving final release and certificates of conformance, and maintaining build records to contract retention requirements.

• Put in place the core programs a defence supplier is held to; calibration and measurement system analysis, counterfeit parts prevention, foreign object debris (FOD) control, and ESD control.

• Keep the business compliant with Controlled Goods Program, export control, and contract quality requirements, and train the team so quality and compliance are built into daily work rather than inspected in afterward.

• Step into whatever the mission demands: this is a startup, no two weeks will look the same!

What You Bring

Required

• A bachelor’s degree (minimum) in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, mechatronics, or aerospace engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline from an accredited program and institution.

• 3+ years as a process, manufacturing, or industrial engineer in a hardware production environment, with a track record of processes you built or materially improved.

• Hands-on experience writing work instructions, routings, and SOPs, and managing them under document and revision control.

• Working knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, and structured root cause analysis (8D, 5 Whys, fishbone), and the discipline to see corrective actions through to closure.

• Practical lean manufacturing experience: value stream mapping, standard work, 5S, and kaizen applied on a real shop floor, not just in a classroom.

• Comfort with data: building, analyzing, and presenting yield, cycle-time, and quality metrics in Excel, Power BI, or similar tools to make an ambiguous problem clear.

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings (including GD&T), bills of materials, and wiring diagrams, and to work within a CAD/PDM environment.

• Hands-on experience building or maintaining a quality management system to AS9100 or ISO 9001, including document control, CAPA, MRB, and internal audits.

• Experience leading or hosting third-party, customer, or regulatory audits, and owning the response to findings.

• Supplier quality experience: qualifying and auditing suppliers, managing incoming inspection, and driving supplier corrective actions.

• The confidence to hold the line on quality and compliance with peers and senior leadership, paired with the judgment to find practical solutions in a fast-moving startup.

• Eligibility for a Government of Canada security clearance and registration under the Controlled Goods Program; active clearance is a significant asset.

• A builder’s mindset: you take ownership of the system, not just the task, and you’re as comfortable on the floor with a technician as you are in a design review.

Preferred

• P.Eng. or EIT designation, or eligibility for registration in Alberta or conversion from eligible province(s).

• Prior experience in a UAS, aerospace, high volume, or defence manufacturing environment operating under AS9100 or a similar quality management system.

• Experience taking an organization through initial AS9100 certification. ISO9001 is considered a direct comparable preferred skillset/experience.

• AS9100 lead auditor certification, or ASQ certification such as CQE, CQA, or CMQ/OE.

• Familiarity with the Controlled Goods Program, export controls (EIPA, ITAR), counterfeit parts prevention (AS5553/AS6174), FOD prevention (AS9146), and defence contract quality requirements such as AQAP 2110.

• Direct experience deploying or configuring an MES, including electronic work instructions and serialized genealogy.

• Exposure to ERP and PLM/PDM systems (Autodesk Vault, SolidWorks PDM/PLM, Arena, or similar) and how they integrate with shop-floor execution.

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher, with demonstrated SPC knowledge.

• An electromechanical assembly background: wiring harnesses, PCB handling and ESD control, torque control, adhesives, or composites.

• Experience launching a new production line or ramping volume, ideally in a startup or scale-up, including fixture and tooling design.

Why North Vector Dynamics

• Real ownership from day one: the systems and processes you help build will be foundational to how this company operates for years to come.

• We’re working on technology that matters at a national and global level, and every person on the team feels that weight and that purpose.

• A tight-knit, high-calibre team that moves fast, holds each other to a high standard, and doesn’t waste time on bureaucracy for its own sake.

• Competitive compensation and meaningful upside from joining an early-stage company at the forefront of the defence technology sector.

• On-site in Calgary, AB, a growing hub for tech and defence, with a culture built around resilience and getting things done.