QMS Coordinator

Knowles; South Carolina; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Medical, Dental, Vision

401k with employer matching

Basic Life Insurance

Job summary

Knowles seeks a QMS Coordinator to lead the aerospace QMS, ensuring AS9100 compliance, managing audits, and driving CAPA/8D actions. You will mentor quality staff, partner with process owners, and act as the primary quality contact during customer visits and audits.

This role balances compliance with practical, actionable improvements across cross-functional teams. Join Knowles to contribute to sustaining certification, improving process control, and achieving measurable defect reduction while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, quality, or related field.
• 3–5 years of QMS experience in manufacturing or production environments.
• 5+ years in leadership or supervisory quality roles.
• Strong experience with AS9100 requirements and audits.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specs, and customer requirements.
• Proven track record in RCCA, CAPA, nonconformance management, supplier quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal audits and coordinate external audits (customer, registrar, regulatory).
• Drive root-cause analysis and CAPA/8D for nonconformances.
• Oversee document control and maintain QMS documentation.
• Act as primary QMS liaison to management reviews and KPI reporting.
• Monitor supplier quality and manage vendor evaluation processes.
• Mentor Quality Engineers and Technicians; foster cross-functional alignment.
• Communicate quality risks and recommended actions clearly to stakeholders.

Skills

QMS leadership

AS9100

Audits

CAPA/8D

Document control

Team leadership

Customer liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Quality

Job description

The QMS Coordinator oversees aerospace Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with AS9100 standards. Responsibilities include managing internal and external audits, leading root-cause corrective actions (RCCA), handling document control, and supervising quality personnel to maintain certification and product safety.

Responsibilities/daily tasks

Quality Management System Leadership

• Lead the internal audit program and support external, customer, and certification audits
• Support audit planning, audit readiness, audit response, and closure of audit findings
• Maintain and improve procedures, work instructions, forms, and system documentation
• Ensure QMS documentation supports practical execution, not just compliance
• Ensure effective implementation of corrective and preventive actions
• Identify systemic QMS weaknesses and lead practical improvements to strengthen process control and audit readiness

Quality Engineering & Operational Leadership

• Mentor, and develop Quality Engineers and Quality Technicians
• Partner with Process Owners to improve quality outcomes
• Serve as a primary Quality contact during customer visits, audits, and quality discussions
• Balance compliance discipline with operational practicality
• Build cross-functional alignment around quality objectives, customer expectations, and process performance (KPI-Score Cards)
• Challenge corrective actions, ineffective process controls, and recurring nonconformance patterns
• Communicate quality risks clearly, including customer impact, business impact, containment expectations, and recommended actions
• Drive measurable improvements in defect reduction, escape prevention, audit performance, supplier quality, and process stability (KPI)
• Contribute to strategic quality planning in partnership with the Quality Manager
• Support planned Quality leadership continuity by assuming increasing responsibility for selected QMS, audit, customer, and Quality Engineering activities over time

Summary of core responsibilities:

• QMS:Implement, maintain, and continuously improve the QMS to meet AS9100 aerospace standards.
• Audit:Plan and lead internal audits, and coordinate external registrar, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Corrective Action:Drive root-cause analysis and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA/8D) for nonconformances.
• Document Control:Oversee creation, revision, approval, and archiving of quality manuals, procedures, and work instructions.
• Management Representative:Act as the primary QMS liaison for management reviews, reporting directly on system performance and compliance.
• Supplier Quality:Monitor incoming material compliance and manage vendor evaluation processes.
• Team Leadership:Supervise, train, and mentor quality control inspectors and assurance staff

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in engineering, Quality, or related technical field
• 3-5 years of QMS Quality experience in manufacturing or production environments
• 5+ years in a leadership, supervisory, or team-development quality role
• Strong practical experience working within AS9100 requirements
• Experience leading or heavily supporting audits, RCCA, nonconformance management, supplier quality, and customer quality activities
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and technical documentation
• Strong understanding of inspection methods, production quality controls, corrective action, and process-based quality management
• Ability to work effectively with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Inspection, and Senior Leadership
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain quality issues clearly and drive accountability without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional development and growth
• A dynamic and collaborative work environment focused on innovation and continuous improvement.
• Flexible PTO
• Paid holidays
• Prescription Drug Plans
• Retirement Savings Plan (401k):
• Basic Life Insurance
• Employee Referral Program

Join our team and play a pivotal role in transforming our manufacturing processes to achieve greater efficiency and excellence.

We are committed to providing a competitive and fair total compensation package for all employees.

Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to previous experience and skills acquired prior to joining us, cost of living in the assigned work location, assigned schedule, and salaries of similarly situated peers at the company. It is to be expected that candidates will come to us with different sets of skills and experiences and therefore will be paid at different points in the stated range. We recognize that the person(s) we select for hire may be less experienced or more experienced than the role as posted; if this is the case, any updates to available salary ranges will be communicated with candidates during the recruitment process.

Knowles’ Cornell Dubilier brand is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom high-energy discharge capacitors used in a wide range of medical, military, and commercial pulsed energy applications.

Equal Opportunity Statement:We prohibit pay discrimination and discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status.

ITAR Statement:Please note that this position may require access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status) or have the necessary authorization to access controlled technical data. Compliance with ITAR and EAR regulations is a condition of employment.

About Knowles

Knowles' Cornell Dubilier brand is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom high-energy discharge capacitors used in a wide range of medical, military, and commercial pulsed energy applications.

Knowles high-performance capacitors, RF and microwave filters, advanced medtech microphones, balanced armature speakers, and miniaturization products enable and enhance the performance of technologies with the power to change, improve, and save lives. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles has grown into a global organization with employees spanning 11 countries.

Why Join Us?

• Paid holidays
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug Plans
• Retirement Savings Plan (401k) with employer matching
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance, STD and LTD
• FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) on site two days per week
• Employee Referral Program
• Competitive pay and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional development and growth
• A collaborative work environment focused on innovation and continuous improvement

Equal Opportunity Statement: We prohibit pay discrimination and discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status.

ITAR Statement: Please note that this position may require access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status) or have the necessary authorization to access controlled technical data. Compliance with ITAR and EAR regulations is a condition of employment.