Director, Quality

Electra.aero; Manassas (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in a Series B aerospace company

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with immediate vesting

Generous PTO and company holidays

Free catered lunches at Manassas HQ

Job summary

Electra is hiring a Director of Quality to build the quality function from the ground up and shepherd the EL9 program through Part 23/type certification and into production. You will establish an AS9100-aligned QMS, define requirements, and own inspection planning, data, and supplier quality as Electra scales.

You will partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Industrialization, and Certification teams to ensure design-to-production conformance, audits, and certification milestones

Qualifications

• 16 years of quality leadership experience in aerospace or another regulated, high-complexity manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience building or substantially transforming an AS9100-aligned quality management system – not just maintaining one.
• Direct experience with FAA Part 21 and the Production Certificate process.
• Working knowledge of FAA Part 5 SMS requirements and implementation.
• Strong supplier quality background, including qualification, surveillance, and corrective action.
• Track record building inspection plans and FAI processes for new aircraft or comparable complex products.
• Experience as the primary FAA interface for a manufacturing organization.
• Demonstrated ability to position quality as a business partner to Operations rather than as oversight.
• Track record hiring and developing quality leaders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

• Build and own Electra’s Quality Management System, aligned to AS9100 and FAA Part 21 requirements.
• Lead the path to Production Certificate, delivering conformity, inspection, and quality data for FAA.
• Define and implement quality requirements across the EL9 program, from incoming to final acceptance.
• Develop the EL9 inspection plan with First Article Inspection (FAI) processes and data infra.
• Stand up supplier quality function including qualification, surveillance, and corrective action.
• Lead implementation of FAA Part 5 Safety Management System (SMS).
• Build labor qualification and certification program ensuring operators and inspectors are trained.
• Serve as Electra’s primary FAA interface, building credibility for certification milestones.
• Hire, develop, and lead the quality team as the program scales.
• Establish quality metrics and operating cadence for executive visibility and COPQ/risk

Skills

AS9100 knowledge

FAA Part 21 & Part 5 SMS

Supplier quality

Inspection planning

FAI processes

Leadership & team building

Quality metrics

Regulated manufacturing

Quality as business partner

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or equivalent experience

Job description

About Electra

Electra is building the EL9 Ultra Short – a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in 150 feet. By pairing blown-lift aerodynamics with distributed electric propulsion, the EL9 opens thousands of new access points – fields, parking lots, small airstrips – that conventional aviation can’t touch. We call it Direct Aviation: getting people from where they are to where they want to go, without the airports, noise, or emissions.

We’ve filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, hold 2,200 pre-orders, and are backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran. Bristow Group has secured the first EL9 delivery slot. First EL9 test flights are planned for 2027, with certification targeted for late 2029 to 2030.

The Role

We’re hiring a Director of Quality to build Electra’s quality function from the ground up and carry it through Part 23 type certification, production certification, and into rate production. This is a builder’s seat. You’ll stand up the AS9100-aligned quality management system, define the quality requirements that will govern how the EL9 gets built and inspected, develop the inspection plan, lead supplier quality, and own the implementation of an FAA Part 5 Safety Management System. You’ll also build the labor qualification program that ensures every person touching an EL9 is trained, certified, and current.

You’ll partner closely with the Director of Manufacturing Engineering on production system conformity, with Supply Chain on supplier qualification and surveillance, with the Head of Industrialization on quality system architecture, and with the Engineering and Certification organizations on the path to type certification. The quality function you build will be a true partner to Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain – not an oversight gate.

What You’ll Do

• Build and own Electra’s Quality Management System, aligned to AS9100 and FAA Part 21 requirements

• Lead the path to Production Certificate, partnering with Engineering and Certification to deliver the conformity, inspection, and quality data the FAA will require
• Define and implement quality requirements across the EL9 program, from incoming inspection through in-process and final acceptance
• Develop the EL9 inspection plan in partnership with Manufacturing Engineering, including First Article Inspection (FAI) processes and the data infrastructure to support them
• Stand up the supplier quality function, including supplier qualification, surveillance, performance management, corrective action, and the supplier portal infrastructure
• Lead implementation of an FAA Part 5 Safety Management System (SMS)
• Build the labor qualification and certification program, ensuring every operator, inspector, and technician is trained and current to the standards their work requires
• Serve as Electra’s primary quality interface with the FAA, building the relationship and the credibility that supports the program’s certification milestones
• Hire, develop, and lead the quality team as it scales with the program
• Establish quality metrics and the operating cadence that gives the executive team visibility into quality performance, COPQ, and risk

What You Bring

• 16 years of quality leadership experience in aerospace or another regulated, high-complexity manufacturing environment

• Demonstrated experience building or substantially transforming an AS9100-aligned quality management system – not just maintaining one
• Direct experience with FAA Part 21 and the Production Certificate process
• Working knowledge of FAA Part 5 SMS requirements and implementation
• Strong supplier quality background, including qualification, surveillance, and corrective action
• Track record building inspection plans and FAI processes for new aircraft or comparable complex products
• Experience as the primary FAA interface for a manufacturing organization
• Demonstrated ability to position quality as a business partner to Operations rather than as oversight
• Track record hiring and developing quality leaders
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or equivalent experience

Nice to Have

• Experience standing up a quality function for a clean-sheet aircraft program through Part 23 or Part 25 type and production certification

• Hybrid-electric, electric, or other novel propulsion program experience
• Lean / TPS / Six Sigma background
• Experience with composites and metallic structures inspection
• Familiarity with NDI processes and qualification
• Prior experience scaling a quality organization from prototype through serial production

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a Series B aerospace company with strategic backing from Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Generous PTO, company holidays, and a paid winter break
• Free catered lunches, coffee, and snacks at our Manassas headquarters
• The chance to build the quality function for an aircraft program that will change how people and goods move

Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.