Hiring: Director, Enterprise Quality & Configuration Management Company: QinetiQ US Location: Middlesex County, MA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-17 00:58:40 Employment Type: Contract / On-site Target Skills & Keywords : AI, Accessibility, Configuration Management, Machine Learning, Product Lifecycle Management, Program Management, Root Cause Analysis, Security Clearance, Six Sigma About the job Experience: •12+ years of relevant experience in Aerospace & Defense Quality and Configuration Management in hardware manufacturing environments, including at least 5 years leading quality managers and engineers. •At least 5 years leading quality managers and engineers. Required Skills: •Enterprise leadership. Lead a team of approximately 25 quality engineering professionals and execute the enterprise-wide strategy for Quality & Configuration Management, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving measurable improvements in product quality, compliance, and delivery performance. •Production quality. Own product quality on production programs through first article inspection, production readiness reviews, first article and acceptance testing, and rate delivery, including readiness for Government acceptance. Drive process control, first-pass yield, and rolled throughput yield in partnership with Operations. •Nonconformance and corrective action. Lead material review, nonconformance, and root cause and corrective action to verified closure, with evidence that stands up to customer review. Prevent escapes and reduce the cost of poor quality. •Customer quality interface. Serve as the primary quality interface with customers, Government quality representatives, and DCMA, leading engagement on audits, corrective action requests, and requests for deviation and waiver. •Continuous improvement. Establish and drive continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, or other methodologies to improve yield, escape rate, cycle time, and cost of poor quality, with performance reviewed at program and executive level. •Enterprise QMS and certifications. Manage compliance across all U.S. entities, ensuring adherence to all contractual, regulatory, and quality standards, including certifications such as AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and CMMI-SVC ML3, and mature the enterprise quality management system across operating entities. •Supplier quality. Set supplier quality requirements and flow-downs, and lead source inspection, supplier first article, and corrective action on critical subcontractors and build items, including counterfeit parts prevention in line with DFARS requirements. •Developing the function. Develop and empower a geographically dispersed, high-performing team, focusing on mentorship, development, and performance management. Build depth in critical skills, establish scalable processes and systems, and move the organization from inspection and reaction toward prevention and predictable performance. Qualifications: •Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field with 12+ years of relevant experience in Aerospace & Defense Quality and Configuration Management in hardware manufacturing environments, including at least 5 years leading quality managers and engineers. •Program quality. Proven track record in functional or business leadership roles, with direct responsibility for driving quality outcomes and program compliance on at least one DoD or federal program of record carried from first article or qualification testing into production delivery and Government acceptance. •Executive communication. Experience preparing and delivering executive-level briefings, clearly articulating quality and configuration management risk, performance, and strategy, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels. •Cross-functional leadership. Expertise in leading cross-functional, matrix teams to achieve business objectives, with demonstrated success driving outcomes across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Program Management without direct authority. •Building organizations. Demonstrated success in leading geographically dispersed teams, with a focus on team growth and professional development, and a record of building or substantially maturing a quality organization by adding capability, establishing processes and systems, and measurably raising performance. •Operational quality. Strong background in manufacturing and production, including site- or plant-level quality leadership over material review, nonconformance management, corrective action closure, and process control, with in-depth knowledge of Quality Management Systems (QMS), supplier management, and requirements flow-down processes. •Configuration management. Hands-on ownership of configuration and change control on hardware programs, including engineering change proposals, deviations and waivers, and configuration control boards. •Standards and customer interface. Proficient in Root Cause Analysis, Corrective Action, and the application of industry-leading quality tools, with working command of AS9100D and AS9102 and direct experience working alongside Government quality representatives or DCMA. •Self-starter, critical thinker, and results-driven leader who thrives in dynamic environments. •Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR and EAR. Compensation: •$189,000 - $238,000 / year •Flexible work environment (work from home / hybrid options) Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!