Quality Assurance Manager - Spacecraft & Avionics

firefly; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Quality Manager to lead quality operations and mission assurance for our avionics and spacecraft manufacturing. You will bridge avionics engineering with high-reliability production, managing a growing 10-person team and guiding factory growth with hands-on floor engagement.

The role requires deep AS9100 experience, strong GD&T knowledge, and collaboration with cross-site quality and engineering teams to ensure compliance and continuous improvement in a

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years in aerospace quality leadership.
• Minimum 2-5 years with a focus on spacecraft or launch vehicles.
• Deep, hands-on experience managing AS9100 certification standards.
• Strong background in complex avionics systems, flight hardware, and spacecraft manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Support and ensure implementation and adherence of AS9100 QMS.
• Direct and mentor a 10-person quality team including engineers, inspectors, and technicians.
• Collaborate with peer quality leaders across launch and vehicle manufacturing to align standards.
• Balance documentation management with hands-on floor evaluations and nonconformance investigations.

Skills

Aerospace quality leadership

Team leadership

AS9100 knowledge

GD&T understanding

Education

BS/BA in Engineering

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

The Quality Manager position is a high-visibility leadership role responsible for transforming quality infrastructure in the factory to support emerging growth in our Avionics and Spacecraft manufacturing factories. In this role you will lead quality operations and mission assurance for early-stage spacecraft development and production. You will bridge complex avionics engineering with high-reliability aerospace manufacturing, maintaining a balance between strategic desk-based leadership and hands-on floor engagement. This role oversees a growing 10-person multi-disciplinary quality team and you will focus on team and individual skill development, ensuring we build a quality support team required to guide and lead factory growth and development, focus on immediate tactical needs and position ourselves to focus on early engagement activities (APQP, PAPP/FAI, DFMEA, PFMEA, etc.). You will also collaborate with peer quality leaders across launch and vehicle manufacturing and support cross-site quality initiatives.

Position Details

• Location: Austin, TX metro area
• Travel Expectation: <10% for external sites outside of the Austin, TX area

Key Responsibilities

• Support and ensure implementation and adherence of assigned areas to the company's AS9100 Quality Management System (QMS). Continually work with partner leaders to identify and tailor your assigned team for rapid growth supporting the company's strategic plan.
• Direct and mentor a growing 10-person team, including Quality Engineers, Quality Specialists, Quality Inspectors, Receiving Inspectors, NDT technicians, and Metrology experts. Ensure solid training plans exist that enable the team’s support of both current and future goals. Identify, hire and train team members as required.
• Partner closely with peer quality leaders across launch and vehicle manufacturing to align company-wide standards. Partner closely with peer manufacturing, engineering and program teams as required to complete job activities.
• Balance equally between managing documentation (MRB, CAPA logs) and performing hands-on floor evaluations alongside the team. Oversee inspection and testing of critical flight electronics, power systems, and harness assemblies.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years in aerospace quality leadership. Minimum 2-5 years with a focus on spacecraft or launch vehicles.
• Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary quality teams (inspectors, engineers, NDT technicians).
• Deep, hands-on experience managing and auditing AS9100 certification standards. Strong background in complex avionics systems, flight hardware, and spacecraft manufacturing.
• BS/BA in Engineering, Material Science, or a related technical field. 10+ experience in quality manufacturing and aerospace/space manufacturing accepted in lieu of a degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred 5-7 years' experience in spacecraft or launch vehicles. IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620 or J-STD-001 with Space Addendum certified preferred. Active certification as a trainer a plus.
• Machine shop experience within a production environment a plus.
• Strong understanding of GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) and machine shop inspection techniques.