Quality Director - Aerospace & Defense QMS Leader

Rugged Science, LLC; Maryland; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Rugged Science, LLC in Maryland is seeking a Quality Director to lead and own the QMS, ensuring product quality across design, manufacturing, testing and delivery.

You will drive AS9100 compliance, supplier quality programs, and data-driven improvements while mentoring the quality team and collaborating with engineering and operations.

This hands-on leadership role requires deep aerospace/defense quality experience and the ability to manage external audits and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of quality experience in electronics, computing hardware, aerospace, or related high-reliability manufacturing environments.
• 5+ years in a quality leadership role with direct responsibility for an AS9100 QMS.
• Deep working knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, and related aerospace/defense quality standards and practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead, maintain, and continually improve the AS9100-certified Quality Management System (QMS) including management review, internal audits, nonconformance and corrective action systems.
• Establish quality strategy, objectives, metrics (KPIs), and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with business goals and customer requirements.
• Oversee quality engineering, inspection, testing, and calibration to ensure product conformity across the lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, applicable MIL-STD requirements, and customer quality clauses.
• Manage supplier quality programs including supplier selection, qualification, performance monitoring, audits, and development.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for internal nonconformances, customer complaints, and audit findings.
• Drive design quality and DFM/DFT practices in collaboration with engineering.
• Participate in product design reviews to represent quality requirements and concerns.
• Prepare for and host external audits (certification body, customer, and government).
• Develop and mentor the quality team; foster a company-wide culture of quality ownership and accountability.
• Report quality performance, trends, and risks to executive leadership and support strategic decision-making.
• Champion process standardization and data-driven quality improvements.
• Ensure competency-based training related to the QMS and quality-critical processes is defined, delivered, and maintained.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Supplier quality management

FRACAS

Risk-based thinking

Auditing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Rugged Science, LLC in Maryland is seeking a Quality Director to lead and own the QMS, ensuring product quality across design, manufacturing, testing and delivery.

You will drive AS9100 compliance, supplier quality programs, and data-driven improvements while mentoring the quality team and collaborating with engineering and operations.

This hands-on leadership role requires deep aerospace/defense quality experience and the ability to manage external audits and regulatory requirements.