Quality Lead AS9100

Wild West Systems•Leander, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Wild West Systems is a rapidly growing early-stage American defense technology company focused on equipping the world with superior and affordable arms and advanced technologies. This role involves building a quality system that enables speed without hindrance, as the company is building production, not just maintaining it. The Quality Lead will build the Quality Management System (QMS) from scratch, drive AS9100 certification, and integrate quality into the design and manufacturing processes. This is a problem-solving and system-building role, not an audit or stop-the-line position. The selected candidate will own root cause analysis, define processes, and streamline production with efficient quality control.

Requirements

Experience building or significantly contributing to an AS9100 or similar quality system.
Problem solving, not gatekeeping.
Pragmatic in solving problems, not just identifying them.
Comfortable working concurrently on the shop floor and in the system.
Mindset of quality enables production, not hinders it.
Excel at working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Building structure where none exists.
Defaulting to practical solutions vs. perfect systems.
Ownership like an operator, not an auditor.
Able to relocate and work full-time at our Leander, TX site.
5+ years in quality engineering, quality systems, or manufacturing quality roles.
Experience building or operating within an AS9100 or equivalent system.
Experience working in aerospace manufacturing, defense production, or high-reliability manufacturing environments.
Experience with NCR reporting, MRB processes, and RCCA efforts.
Experience writing SOPs, work instructions, and control plans.
ITAR Eligibility: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. Citizen or National, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Preferred experience in a fast-paced or scaling environments.

Responsibilities

Build a lightweight, effective QMS from scratch that supports both production and AS9100 certification.
Drive AS9100 certification from scratch, defining processes, documentation, and audit readiness.
Design and implement NCR and corrective action systems.
Establish MRB processes, ensuring clear ownership of disposition while maintaining tracking and accountability.
Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) efforts, solving issues rather than just facilitating.
Work directly with production and engineering to resolve defects quickly and permanently.
Identify patterns in defects and eliminate them through process improvements.
Design quality into processes utilizing process control, automation, measurement systems (Keyence, vision systems, etc.), and clear work instructions.
Reduce reliance on inspection by improving process capability.
Build systems that prevent defects rather than detect them.
Create and maintain documentation including SOPs, work instructions, control plans, and audit records.
Partner with engineering to improve product design for manufacturability and quality.
Implement practical, usable systems – not theoretical frameworks.