Principal Quality Engineer Jobs
Principal Quality Engineer jobs are open across software, medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics, covering specializations in test automation, quality management systems, and reliability engineering, from senior QA engineer to staff and principal-level roles. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 194+ Principal Quality Engineer jobs
Why Us?
At Par Health, we believe great healthcare is built on getting the essentials right. We’re looking for passionate, talented individuals who share our commitment to improving lives. With a global workforce, we lead with pride and purpose—prioritizing quality and safety while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and teamwork. Elevating the Essentials isn’t just our tagline, it’s the higher standard we live by every day.
Job Description Summary
At Par Health, we believe great healthcare is built on getting the essentials right. We’re looking for passionate, talented individuals who share our commitment to improving lives. With a global workforce, we lead with pride and purpose—prioritizing quality and safety while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and teamwork. Elevating the Essentials isn’t just our tagline, it’s the higher standard we live by every day.The Principal Quality Specialist, Operations is responsible for providing Quality Assurance oversight and technical leadership within a sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. This role supports Manufacturing Quality Assurance (MQA) activities through on-the-floor quality monitoring, batch record review, quality systems support, and product disposition activities. The position serves as a subject matter expert in defect characterization and quality risk assessment, evaluating product defects, determining potential product impact, and supporting investigations, quality decisions, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Principal Quality Specialist partners closely with Operations, Inspection, Quality Control, Engineering, and Technical Services to ensure compliance with cGMP requirements, regulatory expectations, and internal quality standards.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing Quality Assurance Oversight
- Perform routine quality oversight activities during manufacturing operations, including in-process inspections, line clearances, room releases, cleaning verifications, and product release activities.
- Provide real-time quality guidance to manufacturing personnel and ensure compliance with cGMP, GDP, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.
- Review and approve production documentation, batch records, logbooks, and associated quality records for completeness and accuracy.
Defect Characterization & Product Quality Assessment
- Evaluate, characterize, and classify product defects identified during in-process, finished product, retain, and investigation sample inspections.
- Classify defects as Critical, Major, or Minor in accordance with established quality standards and regulatory requirements.
- Perform defect sub-classification and trending activities to support investigations, risk assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Assess visible particulates, cosmetic defects, container closure concerns, and other quality observations to determine potential product impact.
- Provide technical justification and documented rationale supporting defect characterization and quality decisions.
- Support development and maintenance of defect libraries, inspection standards, and characterization guides.
Quality Systems & Investigations
- Initiate and support quality system records including deviations, investigations, change controls, holds, CAPAs, and document revisions.
- Lead or support investigations involving product defects, visible particulate contamination, inspection findings, and process non-conformances.
- Apply scientific judgment and quality risk assessment principles to evaluate product impact and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
- Communicate and defend defect classifications, quality assessments, and investigation conclusions to cross-functional stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve product quality, inspection processes, quality systems, and manufacturing operations.
- Analyze defect trends and recurring quality issues to drive sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
- Participate in process improvement, validation, qualification, and operational excellence initiatives.
Minimum Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline.
- Minimum of 9 years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience supporting Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Quality Assurance, Quality Systems, or Quality Control activities.
Knowledge
- Strong knowledge of cGMP, GDP, FDA regulations, and pharmaceutical quality systems.
- Understanding of sterile manufacturing processes, aseptic practices, and contamination control principles.
- Knowledge of visual inspection principles, defect characterization, defect classification, and quality risk assessment methodologies.
- Familiarity with USP and industry guidance related to visual inspection, visible particulates, and product quality evaluation.
- Proficiency with electronic quality systems, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in sterile injectable manufacturing.
- Experience with visible particulate inspection, defect characterization, and defect trending.
- Experience supporting deviation investigations, CAPA development, and regulatory inspections.
- Qualification in visual inspection processes or demonstrated experience evaluating product defects within a regulated manufacturing environment.
EEO Statement:
We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment, and provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Why Us?
At Par Health, we believe great healthcare is built on getting the essentials right. We’re looking for passionate, talented individuals who share our commitment to improving lives. With a global workforce, we lead with pride and purpose—prioritizing quality and safety while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and teamwork. Elevating the Essentials isn’t just our tagline, it’s the higher standard we live by every day.
Job Description Summary
At Par Health, we believe great healthcare is built on getting the essentials right. We’re looking for passionate, talented individuals who share our commitment to improving lives. With a global workforce, we lead with pride and purpose—prioritizing quality and safety while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and teamwork. Elevating the Essentials isn’t just our tagline, it’s the higher standard we live by every day.The Principal Quality Specialist, Operations is responsible for providing Quality Assurance oversight and technical leadership within a sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. This role supports Manufacturing Quality Assurance (MQA) activities through on-the-floor quality monitoring, batch record review, quality systems support, and product disposition activities. The position serves as a subject matter expert in defect characterization and quality risk assessment, evaluating product defects, determining potential product impact, and supporting investigations, quality decisions, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Principal Quality Specialist partners closely with Operations, Inspection, Quality Control, Engineering, and Technical Services to ensure compliance with cGMP requirements, regulatory expectations, and internal quality standards.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing Quality Assurance Oversight
- Perform routine quality oversight activities during manufacturing operations, including in-process inspections, line clearances, room releases, cleaning verifications, and product release activities.
- Provide real-time quality guidance to manufacturing personnel and ensure compliance with cGMP, GDP, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.
- Review and approve production documentation, batch records, logbooks, and associated quality records for completeness and accuracy.
Defect Characterization & Product Quality Assessment
- Evaluate, characterize, and classify product defects identified during in-process, finished product, retain, and investigation sample inspections.
- Classify defects as Critical, Major, or Minor in accordance with established quality standards and regulatory requirements.
- Perform defect sub-classification and trending activities to support investigations, risk assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Assess visible particulates, cosmetic defects, container closure concerns, and other quality observations to determine potential product impact.
- Provide technical justification and documented rationale supporting defect characterization and quality decisions.
- Support development and maintenance of defect libraries, inspection standards, and characterization guides.
Quality Systems & Investigations
- Initiate and support quality system records including deviations, investigations, change controls, holds, CAPAs, and document revisions.
- Lead or support investigations involving product defects, visible particulate contamination, inspection findings, and process non-conformances.
- Apply scientific judgment and quality risk assessment principles to evaluate product impact and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
- Communicate and defend defect classifications, quality assessments, and investigation conclusions to cross-functional stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve product quality, inspection processes, quality systems, and manufacturing operations.
- Analyze defect trends and recurring quality issues to drive sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
- Participate in process improvement, validation, qualification, and operational excellence initiatives.
Minimum Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline.
- Minimum of 9 years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience supporting Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Quality Assurance, Quality Systems, or Quality Control activities.
Knowledge
- Strong knowledge of cGMP, GDP, FDA regulations, and pharmaceutical quality systems.
- Understanding of sterile manufacturing processes, aseptic practices, and contamination control principles.
- Knowledge of visual inspection principles, defect characterization, defect classification, and quality risk assessment methodologies.
- Familiarity with USP and industry guidance related to visual inspection, visible particulates, and product quality evaluation.
- Proficiency with electronic quality systems, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in sterile injectable manufacturing.
- Experience with visible particulate inspection, defect characterization, and defect trending.
- Experience supporting deviation investigations, CAPA development, and regulatory inspections.
- Qualification in visual inspection processes or demonstrated experience evaluating product defects within a regulated manufacturing environment.
EEO Statement:
We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment, and provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
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Find JobsPrincipal Quality Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman44
- Katalyst Healthcares & Life Sciences13
- BAE Systems USA7
- Ramboll5
- Cardinal Health4
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Technology & Software
- Electronics & Hardware
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Medical Devices
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal quality engineer jobs.
- 7 or more years of quality engineering experience with progressive responsibility
- Deep expertise in quality management systems such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or AS9100
- Proficiency in statistical process control, FMEA, and root cause analysis methods
- Experience leading cross-functional teams through design and process qualification
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer or Certified Quality Manager credential preferred
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, or a closely related technical discipline
Tips for Your Principal Quality Engineer Job Search
Align your resume to quality frameworks
Principal quality engineer roles expect direct evidence of owning quality systems end-to-end. Call out the frameworks you've led, such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or IEC 62304, and name the stage gates or tollgates you defined, not just participated in.
Quantify defect reduction and audit outcomes
Hiring teams at this level scan for measurable impact. Replace vague phrases like 'improved quality' with concrete outcomes: escape rates reduced, audit findings closed, or cost of poor quality brought down through a specific initiative you drove from root cause to closure.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal quality engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by domain certification requirements
Principal quality engineer job descriptions often signal the industry through required certifications. If you hold a CQE, CQM, or ASQ credential, filter for postings that list those explicitly, since those employers are pre-qualified to value your background and move faster through screening.
Prepare a cross-functional influence story
Interviewers for principal-level quality roles probe your ability to drive quality culture without direct authority. Have a specific example ready where you influenced an engineering or operations team to adopt a quality standard they initially resisted, and be precise about the method and outcome.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At the principal level, budget ownership, team size, and reporting structure vary widely between companies. Before accepting an offer, clarify whether the role owns supplier quality, internal audits, or both, and confirm how quality headcount decisions run through your position versus a VP.
Principal Quality Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal quality engineers?
Northrop Grumman, Katalyst Healthcares & Life Sciences, and BAE Systems USA are hiring the most principal quality engineers right now, with openings concentrated in California, Texas, and Minnesota, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is highest in medical devices, automotive, and aerospace manufacturing sectors.
How many principal quality engineer jobs are remote?
About 58% of principal quality engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with on-site roles more common in regulated industries. Quality systems strategy, supplier auditing coordination, and documentation work tend to be the sub-areas most compatible with remote arrangements, while hands-on process validation and production floor oversight typically require an on-site presence.
How do you become a principal quality engineer?
Start by building deep experience in a specific industry's quality standards, such as medical devices or automotive manufacturing, then progressively own larger quality programs rather than individual tasks. Earning an ASQ certification signals formal competency to hiring teams. Moving into principal-level roles requires demonstrating that you have driven quality outcomes across engineering, operations, and supplier functions, not just within a single team.
Can you get a principal quality engineer job with limited senior experience?
Candidates with strong domain expertise can move into principal roles by leading a high-visibility quality initiative, such as a corrective action overhaul or a new product introduction process, that produced documented results. Highlighting ownership of an entire quality system lifecycle, even at a smaller company, is more persuasive than years of tenure alone. Certifications and a portfolio of measurable improvements help close the experience gap.
What does the principal quality engineer interview process look like?
Expect a recruiter screen followed by a technical interview covering quality methodologies, root cause analysis, and regulatory compliance relevant to the company's industry. A panel interview with engineering, operations, and supply chain stakeholders is common at this level. Many employers include a case study or presentation where you walk through how you would approach a quality problem, so prepare to discuss real examples in detail.
Where can I find and apply to principal quality engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to principal quality engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your industry background and seniority, then apply directly to each listing that fits your experience and target location.
See All 194+ Principal Quality Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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