Quality Engineering Manager

Zentech Manufacturing I•Bloomington, IL

About The Position

The Quality Manager is responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS) within a defense-focused contract manufacturing environment. This role ensures compliance with applicable customer, regulatory, and industry standards while driving a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization. The Quality Manager provides leadership over quality processes, procedures, and people, and serves as the primary authority for quality performance, system integrity, and audit readiness.

Requirements

US Citizenship
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or related technical discipline (or equivalent experience).
5+ years of quality experience in a contract manufacturing or regulated manufacturing environment.
3+ years of experience leading or managing quality teams.
Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and improving a Quality Management System.
Strong working knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, and defense customer requirements.
Experience leading audits, CAPA/RCCA, and management reviews.
Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting defense or aerospace manufacturing programs.
Knowledge of ITAR, DFARS, and government contracting quality requirements.
Familiarity with high-mix, low-to-medium volume manufacturing environments.
Lean, Six Sigma, or quality certifications (CQE, CQA, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt) a plus.

Responsibilities

Quality Management System (QMS) Ownership
Responsible for ensuring adherence to and maintain the company’s Quality Management System in accordance with applicable standards (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001, Nadcap, ITAR requirements as applicable).
Develop, implement, and update quality policies, procedures, work instructions, and records to ensure system effectiveness and compliance.
Ensure alignment of quality processes across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and program management.
Drive continuous improvement of the QMS to support business growth, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.
Quality Planning & Control
Establish and maintain quality control plans, inspection strategies, and acceptance criteria across manufacturing processes.
Ensure effective implementation of first article inspection (FAI), in-process inspection, and final inspection activities.
Monitor product conformity and ensure nonconforming material is identified, segregated, documented, and dispositioned properly.
Ensure configuration management and document control processes are robust and compliant.
Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
Define, track, and report quality metrics (e.g., defect rates, scrap, rework, customer returns, audit findings).
Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (RCCA/CAPA) efforts for internal and external quality issues.
Use data-driven tools and methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, SPC) to drive quality and process improvements.
Promote preventive quality thinking across the organization.
People Leadership & Culture
Lead, mentor, and develop the quality team, including quality engineers, inspectors, and quality technicians as applicable.
Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations within the quality organization.
Train and educate employees across the organization on quality requirements, procedures, and best practices.
Foster a strong culture of quality, compliance, and continuous improvement at all organizational levels.
Customer, Supplier & Audit Interface
Serve as the primary point of contact for customer quality matters, including requirements clarification, issue resolution, and corrective actions.
Support contract reviews to ensure quality requirements are clearly understood and flowed down.
Lead internal audits, management reviews, and external audits (customer, registrar, and regulatory).
Partner with Supply Chain and Supplier Quality to ensure effective supplier quality management, audits, and corrective actions.
Ensure audit readiness and timely closure of audit findings.
Compliance & Risk Management
Ensure compliance with defense and customer-specific requirements, including ITAR and DFARS as applicable.
Identify quality and compliance risks and implement mitigation strategies.
Ensure proper record retention, traceability, and data integrity in accordance with contractual and regulatory requirements.
Support risk management activities such as PFMEA, control plans, and quality risk assessments.