Senior Manager Quality & Mission Assurance

Senior Manager Quality & Mission Assurance We are looking for a seasoned quality leader to build and run our Quality Assurance function in a defense and aerospace environment. As Senior Manager of Quality Assurance & Mission Assurance, you will own the day-to-day execution of our Quality Management System, lead a team of quality professionals, and serve as the primary interface with program management, engineering, manufacturing, and DCMA representatives. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has implemented quality systems, driven compliance programs, and managed teams in high-stakes hardware environments. You will be expected to establish the standards, processes, and culture that ensure we consistently deliver quality products to our customers — and that our organization is always audit-ready. Key Responsibilities Quality Team Leadership - Lead and develop a team of quality engineers and inspectors, setting clear expectations and driving accountability - Provide hands-on coaching, training, and mentorship on quality standards, tools, and procedures - Manage workload allocation across the team to support program schedules and priorities - Report program quality status to senior leadership and program management on a regular cadence Mission Assurance & Program Quality - Assure quality, risk management, safety, reliability, and maintainability across programs, subcontractors, and suppliers in accordance with contractual requirements - Assess program performance and risks; determine and deploy resources to ensure mission assurance objectives are met - Maintain comprehensive quality metrics and dashboards, incorporating customer and employee feedback to assess performance and drive decisions - Collaborate with program managers, engineering leads, and DCMA representatives on scheduling, operational decisions, and contractual clarifications Product & Integration Quality Engineering - Partner with manufacturing engineering, production, and design engineers to support the quality of production processes for components such as sensors, PCBAs, cables, wiring harnesses, actuators, machined parts, and structures - Work cross-functionally to define and execute product build and inspection requirements that meet customer quality standards - Lead the Non-Conformance Review (NCR) process: contain defects, drive corrective actions, and manage KPIs. - Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations, manage Material Review Board (MRB) activities, and own containment strategies for prototype and production builds - Support incoming inspection processes, integration quality documentation, planning, and effectiveness metrics QMS, Compliance & Audit Readiness - Ensure all QMS and AS9100 practices are implemented, maintained, and followed across the organization - Develop the organization to a continuous state of audit readiness for internal, customer, and third-party audits - Oversee quality inspections of incoming materials, in-process components, and finished products - Maintain and update quality documentation including inspection plans, reports, control charts, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) - Drive the development and maintenance of End Item Data Packages (EIDPs) - Ensure compliance with all applicable quality certifications and regulatory standards Continuous Improvement - Support the implementation and execution of Continuous Improvement programs across manufacturing and engineering - Identify recurring quality issues and champion cross-functional resolution to root cause and corrective actions - Support the development of inspection systems and quality planning in partnership with development engineers Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: - 10+ years of quality assurance/engineering experience in defense, aerospace, or a similarly regulated hardware environment - 3+ years managing or leading a quality team, with direct supervisory responsibility - Hands-on experience i ... (truncated, view full listing at source)