Director of Quality

A1J Technologies LLC•San Jose, CA

About The Position

The Director of Quality provides executive-level leadership and operational accountability for A1J Technologies' Quality Management System (QMS), product conformity, quality assurance and control, regulatory and customer compliance, and continuous improvement. The role is intended to transform the Quality organization into a proactive, process-driven function that supports the company's transition from a precision machining job shop to a Tier 1 supplier serving commercial aerospace and defense customers. The Director establishes and maintains an AS9100-aligned QMS and ensures manufacturing and inspection processes meet applicable requirements. The role oversees Quality Systems, Quality Control, Inspection, Metrology, Calibration, Nonconforming Product Control, and customer quality activities, and collaborates with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Planning, and Executive Leadership to improve product quality, address recurring defects, strengthen customer confidence, and support on-time delivery. The Director maintains independent authority over product acceptance, quality compliance, nonconforming product control, and applicable quality approvals. The work environment includes executive offices, quality laboratories, inspection areas, and precision manufacturing floors, with regular interaction with customers, auditors, suppliers, and internal teams. Travel may be required for customer meetings, supplier evaluations, audits, or other quality-related activities. The position requires regular technical review of drawings, specifications, inspection records, quality data, and compliance documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical discipline.
At least 10 years of progressive quality experience in manufacturing, including at least 5 years in quality leadership.
Demonstrated experience leading Quality Management Systems, Quality Control, Inspection, and corrective-action functions.
Strong working knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, AS9102, and applicable aerospace manufacturing quality requirements.
Experience with precision machining, engineering drawings, GD&T, manufacturing processes, and inspection methods.
Experience preparing for and leading internal, customer, and third-party quality audits.
Ability to establish effective nonconforming product controls, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action systems.
Experience managing inspection operations, metrology, calibration, and product acceptance processes.
Ability to lead cross-functional quality improvement initiatives and reduce recurring defects.
Strong understanding of material traceability, supplier quality requirements, and configuration management.
Experience establishing quality KPIs, performance reporting, and organizational accountability.
Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and customer relationship management skills.
Ability to balance quality compliance, manufacturing efficiency, operational risk, and customer delivery requirements without compromising product conformity.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, or Business Administration.
Extensive experience in aerospace, defense, or high-precision CNC manufacturing.
Experience leading an organization through AS9100 certification, surveillance audits, or major QMS improvements.
ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).
Experience managing Quality Control, CMM programming, and complex dimensional inspection operations.
Experience implementing first-piece inspection programs, operator self-inspection, and risk-based quality planning.
Familiarity with PFMEA, SPC, process capability studies, and measurement system analysis.
Experience with supplier qualification, special-process controls, and aerospace customer flow-down requirements.
Experience using JobBoss or comparable manufacturing ERP/MRP systems.
Demonstrated success reducing customer escapes, scrap, rework, and Cost of Poor Quality.
Experience scaling quality organizations and systems during manufacturing growth or organizational transformation.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the quality strategy in alignment with business objectives, customer requirements, and aerospace and defense industry expectations.
Lead and develop Quality Systems, Quality Control, Inspection, Metrology, Calibration, and related quality functions; establish responsibilities, authority, expectations, accountability, training, competency evaluation, and succession planning.
Build a proactive organization focused on defect prevention and promote quality ownership across Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and supporting departments while preserving independent product acceptance decisions.
Implement, maintain, and continuously improve the QMS in accordance with applicable AS9100, ISO 9001, customer, and contractual requirements.
Maintain quality procedures, work instructions, forms, documented processes, document control, record retention, configuration management, product safety, traceability, and customer-specific requirement communication.
Plan and oversee internal audits, prepare for customer and external audits, and ensure findings receive containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and effectiveness verification.
Establish management reviews, quality objectives, risk assessments, QMS performance reporting, and executive assessments of system effectiveness, compliance risks, and improvement priorities.
Oversee receiving, first-piece, in-process, and final inspection; ensure inspection requirements and strategies are defined and implemented throughout manufacturing.
Establish first-piece verification and operator self-inspection practices, and ensure inspection staff have appropriate training, equipment, documentation, and technical support.
Oversee CMM programming, inspection planning, measurement methods, inspection capacity, inspection status, acceptance records, equipment, and product release; monitor inspection backlogs and turnaround times.
Partner with Manufacturing to investigate recurring defects and improve process capability, repeatability, first-pass yield, and compliance with approved procedures.
Partner with the Director of Engineering on Quality Engineering participation in process development and release, including drawing requirements, critical characteristics, inspection methods, customer clauses, and manufacturing risks.
Establish quality planning for new product introduction, process changes, and complex production jobs; support PFMEAs, control plans, inspection plans, validation, first-piece inspection, and First Article Inspection requirements.
Oversee quality acceptance and compliance aspects of AS9102 First Article Inspection documentation, as applicable, and evaluate engineering changes for effects on inspection, configuration control, conformity, and FAI requirements.
Establish and enforce processes to identify, document, segregate, evaluate, and control nonconforming material and product; oversee NCRs, MRB activities, rework verification, and authorized dispositions.
Ensure dispositions are made by authorized personnel and obtain customer or design-authority approval when required.
Lead investigation and resolution of significant internal nonconformances, recurring defects, and customer quality escapes; establish structured root-cause and corrective-action practices with ownership, deadlines, escalation, and effectiveness checks.
Analyze recurring defects, scrap, rework, and customer complaints, and partner with Manufacturing and Engineering on sustainable corrective actions.
Serve as the senior Quality representative for customer quality matters, major nonconformances, audits, and corrective-action requests; lead responses to customer escapes, complaints, and significant concerns.
Ensure customer requirements are understood and implemented, establish timely customer notification and escalation processes, monitor customer scorecards and returns, and ensure records are complete before product release.
Support contract review and new business evaluations by assessing quality requirements, inspection capability, documentation obligations, and compliance risks.
Partner with Supply Chain to establish supplier qualification, approval, monitoring, performance evaluation, supplier corrective action, and communication of customer flow-downs.
Establish incoming material verification, certification, and lot/heat traceability requirements; control nonconforming or uncertified materials and oversee applicable special-process supplier and approved-source requirements.
Maintain material traceability and quality documentation through manufacturing and outside processing, and monitor supplier quality trends with Supply Chain.
Establish and maintain calibration and control of inspection equipment; ensure measuring and test equipment is suitable, identified, calibrated or verified, and controlled.
Oversee CMM capabilities and inspection programming standards; address out-of-tolerance equipment and evaluate potentially affected products; support measurement system analysis, gage R&R, and capability assessments.
Evaluate inspection technology, equipment investments, and automation opportunities.
Lead organization-wide quality culture and continuous improvement initiatives, including training and audits for traveler use, inspection documentation, traceability, and adherence to approved procedures.
Promote proactive escalation of quality risks, data-driven reduction of scrap, rework, customer escapes, and recurring defects, and sustainable controls that support growth without unnecessary administrative complexity.
Establish quality KPIs, measurable objectives, dashboards, reporting, management reviews, corrective-action accountability, and improvement plans for underperforming areas.
Report quality performance to Operations and Executive Leadership and support quality resource planning, staffing, capital investment, and budget management.