Director of Quality Assurance

CTS Engines; Florida; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CTS Engines in Coral Springs, FL is seeking a Director of Quality Assurance to provide strategic leadership for the Quality Assurance function, overseeing the QMS and ensuring regulatory compliance, safety, and operational excellence.

This role partners with Operations, Engineering, Technical Training, and Supply Chain to promote a strong quality culture, identify risks, improve processes, and sustain effectiveness of the organization’s quality systems.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, or aviation regulatory compliance.
• Experience in aviation engine MRO or FAA-regulated repair environment preferred.
• AS9110/AS9100 knowledge and auditing experience (Lead Auditor preferred).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the QA organization and QMS.
• Ensure processes and quality systems comply with FAA requirements, AS9110/AS9100 standards, customer requirements, and company policies.
• Lead development, implementation, monitoring, and improvement of the QMS.
• Establish quality objectives, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms.
• Oversee audits (internal, supplier, customer, regulatory) and follow-up actions.

Skills

Leadership

Auditing

Quality management

Root cause analysis

Risk management

Process improvement

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Description

Director of Quality Assurance

Location: Coral Springs, FL
Department: Quality Assurance
Reports To: Executive VP

Job Description

The Director of Quality Assurance is responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of the Quality Assurance function, ensuring the organization maintains the highest standards of quality, regulatory compliance, safety, and operational excellence.

This position leads the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the company’s Quality Management System (QMS) and ensures compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, customer requirements, company procedures, and AS9110/AS9100 standards.

The Director of Quality Assurance partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Technical Training, Supply Chain, and other business functions to promote a strong quality culture, identify and mitigate risk, improve processes, and ensure the continued effectiveness of the organization’s quality systems.

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Quality Assurance organization and Quality Management System.
• Ensure company processes, procedures, work instructions, and quality systems comply with applicable FAA requirements, AS9110/AS9100 standards, customer requirements, and company policies.
• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the company’s QMS.
• Establish quality objectives, performance indicators, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate organizational quality performance.
• Oversee internal, supplier, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits and ensure appropriate preparation, execution, response, and follow-up.
• Lead and support corrective and preventive action activities, including root cause analysis, containment actions, corrective actions, and effectiveness verification.
• Identify quality trends, systemic issues, and opportunities for continuous improvement through the collection and analysis of quality data.
• Ensure appropriate investigation and resolution of quality escapes, nonconformances, audit findings, and process deficiencies.
• Provide leadership and oversight for supplier quality performance and collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to address supplier-related quality concerns.
• Ensure repair and production processes are properly evaluated and monitored for compliance, reliability, and effectiveness.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to develop sustainable solutions to recurring quality and process issues.
• Ensure quality procedures and work instructions are properly documented, maintained, controlled, and aligned with regulatory and corporate requirements.
• Provide executive leadership with quality metrics, audit results, risk assessments, trends, and recommendations for improvement.
• Promote a proactive quality and compliance culture throughout the organization.
• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate Quality Assurance personnel while establishing clear expectations and accountability.
• Support regulatory authorities, customers, and external auditors during inspections and audits.
• Collaborate with Technical Training to ensure personnel understand applicable quality procedures, regulatory requirements, and organizational standards.
• Participate in management reviews and provide recommendations regarding QMS performance, organizational risks, resource requirements, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional quality initiatives and ensure corrective actions are completed within established timelines.
• Serve as a key Quality representative in organizational and leadership meetings.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required to support organizational quality, compliance, and operational objectives.

Experience and Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Aviation, Business, or a related technical field preferred. Equivalent combination of education and relevant aviation/MRO quality experience may be considered.
2. Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, Quality Management Systems, or aviation regulatory compliance, with demonstrated leadership experience.
3. Previous experience in an aviation engine MRO or FAA-regulated repair station environment strongly preferred.
4. Strong working knowledge of AS9110/AS9100 Quality Management Systems and auditing requirements.
5. AS9110/AS9100 Auditor or Lead Auditor certification preferred. The source JD currently requires AS9110/9100 Auditor certification for the Senior Quality Engineer. Senior Quality Engineer JD
6. Strong knowledge of root cause analysis, corrective action, risk management, process improvement, and quality performance methodologies.
7. Demonstrated experience leading internal and external audits and interacting with customers, auditors, suppliers, and regulatory authorities.
8. Proven ability to lead and develop teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
9. Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
10. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret quality data, identify trends, assess organizational risk, and present recommendations to executive leadership.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Quality and regulatory leadership
• Strategic decision-making
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Accountability and integrity
• Root cause and problem-solving expertise
• Risk-based thinking
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Effective communication and professional assertiveness
• Team development and coaching
• Strong situational awareness
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced MRO environment

Preferred Aviation/MRO Experience

Experience supporting an FAA Part 145 repair station, particularly within an aircraft engine MRO environment, is highly desirable. Experience working with regulatory audits, customer audits, quality escapes, corrective action systems, supplier quality, technical documentation, and engine repair processes is preferred.

One recommendation: because this is a QA Director rather than a Senior Quality Engineer, I would make the FAA Part 145/regulatory leadership component much stronger than it is in the original JD. The original document only explicitly states that engine MRO experience is preferred, while the Director should ideally have demonstrated responsibility for compliance within a regulated aviation maintenance environment.