Director of Quality
About The Position
Firestorm Labs is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Quality to join our growing team in San Diego. At Firestorm Labs, we are building the future of distributed, mission-adaptive airpower for the modern warfighter. In your leadership position you will be responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and standards for quality across the entire product lifecycle, from supplier to customer delivery. You will build and own Firestorm's quality management system, lead the company to AS9100 compliance and certification, and grow the quality team from a small core into Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, and Inspection functions. You will also scale quality systems to support rapid production growth across our products and sites worldwide, serve as the primary quality interface with defense customers and auditors, and build a culture where quality is owned by every team. In addition, you will report to the VP of Manufacturing while quality processes and systems are being established, and will lead an independent quality organization ahead of AS9100 certification.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Aerospace, Manufacturing, or related discipline). In lieu of a degree, 20 years of progressive experience in discipline.
- 'U.S. Person' as defined by 22 CFR § 120.62 required due to ITAR regulations, which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders), or protected individuals under asylee or refugee status
- 15+ years of progressive quality experience in an aerospace, defense, or precision manufacturing environment.
- 5+ years leading quality teams, including managing engineers, inspectors, and/or managers.
- Experience building and implementing an AS9100 or equivalent quality management system from the ground up and taking it through certification.
- Experience leading AS9100 certification, customer, and/or regulatory audits.
- Experience managing supplier quality programs, including audits, corrective action (SCARs), and supplier development.
- Strong command of quality tools and methodologies: RCCA (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone), APQP, FMEA, control plans, SPC, and MSA.
- Excellent communication and executive presence, with the ability to influence cross-functional leaders, suppliers, and customers.
Nice To Haves
- AS9100 Lead Auditor certification.
- ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).
- Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent continuous improvement training.
- Experience with DoD contract quality requirements and supporting DCMA, customer, and other regulatory agency audits.
- Experience with unmanned systems, electromechanical assemblies, or mixed hardware/software builds.
- Experience managing quality across multiple sites, including international locations.
- Experience implementing digital quality tools, eQMS, or MES platforms.
- Startup or high-growth company experience.
Responsibilities
- Define the quality vision, objectives, and roadmap for Firestorm, and align quality priorities with production ramp, program commitments, and business growth.
- Lead, hire, and develop the quality organization, including Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, and Inspection, with clear expectations and a path for growth.
- Build a quality management system that serves all of Firestorm worldwide, reach AS9100 compliance within your first 90 days, and lead the company through certification. This includes document control, internal audits, management review, and certification audits.
- Set the standards for supplier selection, qualification, audits, and performance monitoring, and ensure suppliers are held accountable through corrective action and scorecards.
- Own a closed-loop NCMR, MRB, and RCCA process, ensuring root causes are verified and corrective actions are effective before closure.
- Partner with engineering, NPI, and manufacturing to ensure quality is designed in, not inspected in, through APQP, PFMEA, control plans, first article inspection, and ECO implementation.
- Serve as the primary quality point of contact for customers, government representatives, and third-party auditors, and ensure compliance with contractual, flow-down, and regulatory agency requirements across our production and flight test locations.
- Define the quality KPIs that matter (DPPM, first pass yield, cost of poor quality, CAR closure), and report performance and risk to executive leadership.
- Ensure inspection, calibration, and measurement systems (MSA, gage R&R) keep pace with production ramp and an evolving product line.
- Drive continuous improvement and a culture of quality ownership across Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering.
- Lead customer source inspections, certification audits, and regulatory audits.
- Perform other duties as needed.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
- Equity grants for new hires
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Unlimited PTO
- Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July & December.
- Generous parental leave
- Lifestyle Spending Account
- FSA
- DCFSA
- HSA
- Hospital Indemnity insurance
- Critical Illness insurance
- Accident insurance
- Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
- Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.
- Relocation assistance is available
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
