Quality Manager

Karman Space & Defense; Cedar City (UT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical,Dental,Vision

Company Paid Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Paid Holidays

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Quality Manager to lead AS9100 quality assurance, quality engineering, and compliance for a small but critical defense contractor. You will guide the QMS, audits, and supplier quality while partnering with engineering and manufacturing to ensure mission-ready products.

The role requires hands-on leadership in a small-company environment with 8–12+ years in aerospace or defense quality, and a U.S. person capable of navigating ITAR-related requirements.

Qualifications

• Own, maintain, and continuously improve the AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
• Ensure compliance with customer quality requirements.
• Lead internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, and document control.
• Serve as the primary interface for third-party, customer, and government audits.
• Ensure quality is embedded across the full product lifecycle: design, development, manufacturing, test, delivery, and sustainment.
• Partner with Engineering on design reviews, risk management, configuration control, and change management.
• Oversee First Article Inspection (AS9102), nonconformance management, MRB activity, and root cause corrective actions.
• Work with manufacturing to ensure process control, inspection effectiveness, and production readiness.
• Manage supplier quality activities, including flow down, supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.
• Mitigate supplier risk to ensure purchased material meets all technical and quality requirements

Responsibilities

• Own, maintain, and continuously improve the AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
• Lead internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, and document control.
• Interface with customers, government auditors, and suppliers on quality topics.
• Ensure product quality across design, development, manufacturing, testing, and delivery.
• Collaborate with Engineering on design reviews, risk management, and change control.
• Oversee nonconformances, MRB, and root-cause corrective actions.
• Drive process control and inspection effectiveness with manufacturing.
• Manage supplier quality activities and risk mitigation.

Skills

AS9100 knowledge

Quality management

Audits

Process improvement

Risk management

Supplier quality

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality, Manufacturing, or related technical field

AS9100 lead auditor certification

U.S. Person status

Job description

Summary

The Quality Manager is responsible for leading all quality assurance, quality engineering, and compliance activities for a single-site, AS9100-certified defense contractor that designs and manufactures its own products. This role serves as the senior authority for the Quality Management System (QMS) and ensures compliance with AS9100, customer, contractual, and regulatory requirements. In a small-company environment, the Quality Manager is both a strategic leader and a hands-on contributor—setting direction while actively supporting engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and programs to ensure product quality, mission reliability, and customer satisfaction.

About Us

Karman Space & Defense provides concept-to-production solutions for mission-critical systems on spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonics, and integrated defense systems. We believe that solving the industry’s most complex and mission-critical challenges requires relentless determination and a willingness to push the boundaries of possibility. Karman Space & Defense brings to bear unparalleled production capabilities, unmatched engineering expertise, and unflinching analysis to render the impossible, possible.

Compensation & Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement*

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Own,maintain, and continuously improve the AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
• Ensure compliance with customer quality requirements.
• Lead internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, and document control.
• Serve as the primary interface for third-party, customer, and government audits.
• Ensure quality is embedded across the full product lifecycle: design, development, manufacturing, test, delivery, and sustainment.
• Partner with Engineering on design reviews, risk management, configuration control, and change management.
• Oversee First Article Inspection (AS9102), nonconformance management, MRB activity, and root cause corrective actions.
• Work with manufacturing to ensure process control, inspection effectiveness, and production readiness.
• Manage supplier quality activities, including flow down , supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.
• Mitigate supplier risk to ensure purchased material meets all technical and quality requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering , Chemistry, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field.
• 8–12+ years of quality experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ownership of an AS9100-certified QMS, including audit leadership.
• Experience supporting both design and manufacturing in a defense environment.
• Ability and willingness to be hands‑on in a small‑company setting.
• Clear communicator with executives, engineers, and technicians.
• Must be a U.S.Person

Itar Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations , certain positions may require applicants to be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Karman is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis("protected class") including, but not limited to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.