Director, Quality

As the Founding Director of Quality and Mission Assurance, you will be the ultimate owner of reliability and risk management for all our space hardware programs. You will build and scale the company's entire quality organization, instilling a culture of mission success throughout the product lifecycle, from design and manufacturing to integration and delivery. This role requires a hands-on, strategic leader with deep expertise in aerospace quality standards and the proven ability to proactively manage complex risks in a fast-paced, high-stakes startup environment.

Responsibilities

Establish and own the company's Mission Assurance strategy, performing risk assessments and identifying, mitigating, and tracking mission-critical risks; Implement a Design Assurance program integrating quality, reliability, and safety into product design; Develop and oversee reliability engineering activities, including risk and failure analysis; Lead the System Safety program to identify and mitigate hazards associated with the hardware; Lead the Failure Review Board for significant program anomalies and failures, ensuring root cause analysis and corrective actions; Act as independent reviewer for program execution, participating in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and program audits; Develop, deploy, and maintain a comprehensive QMS in preparation for AS9100 certification and other space-specific quality standards; Lead the supplier quality management program and engage in supplier technical reviews and audits; Implement process controls and oversee hardware quality during manufacturing, assembly, and test, including non-conformance management and material review boards; Champion a continuous improvement culture using methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma; Build, lead, mentor, and grow the quality and mission assurance team; Develop and implement mission assurance and quality training programs; Serve as primary point of contact for customer quality and mission assurance representatives

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, physical sciences, or a related technical field; 10+ years of experience in quality and mission assurance within the aerospace, defense, or space industry; Proven experience leading the implementation of a QMS, preferably in a manufacturing startup; Extensive experience with Mission Assurance concepts, including risk management, reliability engineering, and system safety; Strong knowledge of industry standards such as AS9100 and familiarity with government standards and guidelines (e.g., NASA, DOD); Demonstrate ability to perform robust root cause analysis and lead effective corrective action efforts

Nice to have

Master's degree in an engineering or technical discipline; Experience with NADCAP accreditation for special processes; Professional certifications such as Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE); Experience interacting with government agencies (e.g., NASA, DoD) on mission assurance and quality issues; Demonstrated ability to think strategically and act tactically in a dynamic startup environment; A 'roll-up-your-sleeves' attitude with a passion for building something from the ground up