Principal Quality Engineer - DRT
Thales Defense & Security
CLARKSBURG, MD · Posted October 20, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at Thales Defense & Security
More in Maryland job market · Aerospace & Defense · Engineering jobs
More roles at Thales Defense & Security
- Principal Optical Engineer · Billerica, MA
- Principal Systems Engineer/Architect · AURORA, IL
- Principal Electrical Engineer · Billerica, MA
- Principal FPGA Engineer · CLARKSBURG, MD
- Associate Digital Hardware Engineer (Comms/TVI) · CLARKSBURG, MD
- Senior Concurrent Manufacturing Engineer · CLARKSBURG, MD
Similar jobs
- Sr Principal Quality Engineer · Northrop Grumman Systems · Baltimore, MD
- Sr Principal Quality Engineer · Northrop Grumman Systems · Linthicum Heights, MD
- Principal Quality Engineer/ Sr Principal Quality Engineer 3/4 · Northrop Grumman · Baltimore, MD
- Space Principal/Sr. Principal Mission Validation Lead Systems Engineer · Northrop Grumman · Linthicum Heights, MD
- Senior Reliability Engineer · On Semiconductor · Scottsdale, AZ
- Senior Supplier Quality Engineer (Electrical/Electronics) · LNW Gaming · Las Vegas, NV
Engineering jobs in the rankings
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among industrial engineers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for industrial engineers: 4% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) Headquartered in Clarksburg, MD, is a U.S. company that has been serving domestic and international defense Air, Land and Sea domains for 60+ years. With over 1,000 employees, TDSI and its four subsidiaries (Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Digital Receiver Technology, Tampa Microwave, and Trusted Cyber Technologies), supports U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi-national partners with a variety of communication, visualization, signal intelligence/electronic warfare, and sensor/sonar capabilities. TDSI’s key technologies include tactical handheld radios, expeditionary satellite terminals, helmet-mounted displays, optics and target recognition capability, advanced radars, undersea sensing and missile systems. Lives depend on what we do!
Top Benefits (Subject to terms of applicable policies/plans)
Competitive Salary
Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
Tuition Reimbursement
Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
Hybrid working schedule
We currently have an opening for a Senior Quality Engineer at our Germantown, MD campus, focused on our DRT (Digital Receiver Technology) product line. This position reports to the Quality Engineering Manager at TDSI in Clarksburg, MD.
Responsibilities
Supports the TDSI AS9100 Quality Management System (QMS).
Leads Quality Engineering activities throughout the product life cycle to include contract review, requirements management, design reviews, verification / validation, and release to production.
Initiates and drives internal Corrective Actions Requests (CARs) as required.
Assists Supply Chain Quality Assurance activities to include approving / auditing suppliers, conducting Source Inspections of Hardware / Software and supporting Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCARs).
Provides interface between Purchasing, Engineering, Program Management, and Manufacturing departments during transition of new products from the design phase to the production phase.
Supports Program Quality Assurance activities for production programs to include First Article Inspections (FAI), Material Review Board (MRB), Change Control Board (CCB), Failure Review Board (FRB), and Work Product review and approval.
Manages high-priority tasks of multiple projects simultaneously in development.
Develops Inspection Plans and processes for Receiving and Final Inspection activities.
Determines Process Capability (Cpk) and defect trends based on statistical analysis.
Supports Continuous Improvements initiatives.
Qualifications
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
U.S. Citizenship required. - Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
BS Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering or equivalent/related technical degree.
4 - 8 years of Quality Engineering experience.
Proficient in ASME / ANSI Y14.5 with demonstrated ability to read mechanical drawings.
Demonstrated knowledge of electro-mechanical assemblies, IPC standards as well as familiarity with schematics and RF Test equipment.
Knowledgeable in elements of Software Quality Assurance, automated MRP systems, Cause / Corrective Action systems.
Excellent English communication skills – written and oral.
Proficiency in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (SAP S/4 Hana highly preferred), Requirements and Configuration Management tools, Microsoft Office Products, and Minitab.
AS9100/ CMMI experience a plus.
Ability to travel up to 10% of time domestically.
Ability to follow and comply with all Company policies, procedures and guidelines including the Compliance Policy Manual and the Code of Ethics.
The annualized pay range for this role is $102,923- $131,512 USD along with a target incentive compensation plan (ICP) of 5%. The pay range provided is a good faith estimate representative of the experience level for the role described above. TDSI considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.
For specific questions about this job posting, candidates may contact Talent Acquisition at careers@thalesdsi.com.
Thales Defense & Security, Inc. is committed to non-discrimination as applicable under federal, state and local laws. We are an E-Verify Employer.
If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales Defense & Security, Inc., please call Human Resources at 240-864-7000.
#LI-JK1 #LI-Hybrid