Sr Supplier Quality Manager, Government

Viasat, Inc.•Carlsbad, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join Viasat as a Senior Supplier Quality Manager and become a key leader within our Government Quality Team! The Senior Supplier Quality Manager is responsible for strategic leadership and governance of supplier quality across assigned government programs and product lines. This role ensures suppliers consistently meet quality, compliance, delivery, and performance expectations in alignment with AS9100/ISO 9001, customer contractual requirements, and Viasat Government quality objectives. The position partners closely with Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, Program Management, and Security to mitigate risk, drive continuous improvement, and ensure mission-critical products meet customer and regulatory expectations.

Requirements

8–12 years of experience in Supplier Quality or Quality Assurance, with at least 5 years in a Government Contracting or Aerospace & Defense environment.
4+ years of direct people management experience
Lead, mentor, and develop team members, including those working remotely across multiple US locations.
Deep expertise in AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001, and FAR/DFARS quality flow-downs.
Proficiency in Root Cause Analysis tools (5-Why, Fishbone, 8D) and experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle).
Serve as the primary liaison between Engineering, Manufacturing, and Suppliers to resolve technical discrepancies and ensure design for manufacturability (DFM).
You can clearly communicate and influence various internal and external partners.
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in a related field
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance
U.S. Citizenship required
Ability to travel up to 20%
Must be able to work out of our Carlsbad, CA or Tempe, AZ office (hybrid role; 3 days a week in the office required)

Nice To Haves

Experience with hardware and software development and manufacturing in the Government, Space, and Telecommunication industries.
Strong data analytics and problem-solving skills, including use of quality tools and metrics.
Excellent executive-level communication skills, including customer-facing and leadership briefings.
Certifications such as ASQ CQE, CQA, or Lead Auditor are strongly preferred.
Master's Degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the Supplier Quality function for assigned suppliers and programs, providing strategic oversight and execution of supplier quality assurance activities.
Establish and enforce supplier quality requirements, including flow-down of contractual, regulatory, and security requirements.
Develop, maintain, and execute supplier audit strategies (AS9100/ISO9001-based), including initial qualification, surveillance, and special audits as the need arises.
Drive effective corrective action management (8D, root cause, containment, systemic fixes) for supplier escapes, nonconformances, and audit findings.
Partner with Supply Chain to support supplier selection, qualification, performance reviews, and sourcing decisions.
Lead supplier performance management using data-driven metrics (PPM, escapes, audit results, delivery risk) to proactively identify and mitigate risk.
Support government customer interactions, audits, and program reviews related to supplier quality and compliance.
Ensure adherence to applicable security, export, and FOCI-related requirements within the supplier quality lifecycle.
Mentor and develop Supplier Quality Engineers and lead sophisticated cross-functional problem-solving initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the supplier base to improve quality, reliability, cost, and delivery performance.