Quality Manager

Space Tango; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Space Tango, an innovative space technology company based in Lexington, Kentucky, seeks a Quality Manager to lead the development and ongoing management of a comprehensive quality management system across engineering, science, and hardware programs.

You will implement procedures, drive audits, and ensure compliance with ISO 9001/AS9100, supporting on-site launches, partner integrations, and mission support while training teams and embedding quality into daily work.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of quality experience in engineering services, research and development, systems integration, custom hardware, or similar technical environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, quality, or related technical field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated experience establishing or substantially improving a quality management system, including developing procedures and driving implementation.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or AS9100, with experience leading audits, nonconformance management, and corrective actions.
• Ability to interpret technical documentation and establish appropriate quality controls for varied customer projects.
• Strong communication, organization, and follow‑through, with the ability to collaborate across teams and enforce requirements.

Responsibilities

• Assess existing quality practices and lead the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of a comprehensive quality management system.
• Develop practical policies, procedures, and documentation controls that incorporate applicable industry, customer, and contractual requirements.
• Partner with project teams to establish quality plans, reviews, inspection and test requirements, traceability, and acceptance criteria appropriate to each project’s scope and risk.
• Lead nonconformance management, root cause investigations, and corrective actions, ensuring issues are resolved before affected work proceeds or deliverables are released.
• Oversee supplier quality, inspection practices, and applicable handling and contamination controls.
• Train employees, integrate quality practices into daily work, and hold teams accountable for following established requirements.
• Lead audits, monitor quality performance, and report risks and improvement priorities to leadership.
• Implement and improve digital quality workflows using Epsilon3 or comparable software and ensure consistent adoption across teams.

Skills

Quality management

Audits

Root cause analysis

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field

Tools

Epsilon3

Job description

Description

Space Tango is an innovative space technology small business based in Lexington, Ky. Space Tango's mission is to manufacture health and technology products in space that create value and transformational solutions. Space Tango provides space-based automated facilities and payloads to support research and development and small-scale manufacturing needs of our partners and customers in the Low Earth Orbit environment and beyond. As a leader in automated systems, Space Tango pursues pathways to on-orbit production. Our vision is to inspire, innovate, and create a better future for humanity by utilizing the environment of space.

The Quality Manager will lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of a comprehensive quality management system supporting our engineering, science, custom hardware development, integration, testing, and mission services.

The ideal candidate combines experience establishing quality systems with a hands‑on approach to implementation. This role will help teams incorporate quality into daily work, provide clear expectations and training, and hold teams accountable for meeting established requirements.

This is an on‑site position in Lexington, Kentucky. Travel will be required for launches, partner integrations, and mission support.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess existing quality practices and lead the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of a comprehensive quality management system.
• Develop practical policies, procedures, and documentation controls that incorporate applicable industry, customer, and contractual requirements.
• Partner with project teams to establish quality plans, reviews, inspection and test requirements, traceability, and acceptance criteria appropriate to each project’s scope and risk.
• Lead nonconformance management, root cause investigations, and corrective actions, ensuring issues are resolved before affected work proceeds or deliverables are released.
• Oversee supplier quality, inspection practices, and applicable handling and contamination controls.
• Train employees, integrate quality practices into daily work, and hold teams accountable for following established requirements.
• Lead audits, monitor quality performance, and report risks and improvement priorities to leadership.
• Implement and improve digital quality workflows using Epsilon3 or comparable software and ensure consistent adoption across teams.

Requirements

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Required:

• 5+ years of quality experience in engineering services, research and development, systems integration, custom hardware, or similar technical environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, quality, or related technical field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated experience establishing or substantially improving a quality management system, including developing procedures and driving implementation.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or AS9100, with experience leading audits, nonconformance management, and corrective actions.
• Ability to interpret technical documentation and establish appropriate quality controls for varied customer projects.
• Strong communication, organization, and follow‑through, with the ability to collaborate across teams and enforce requirements.

Preferred:

• Experience implementing or using Epsilon3 or comparable digital quality and procedure management tools.
• Experience building quality systems in a small or growing organization.
• Experience supporting spaceflight hardware, payload development, or NASA/customer quality requirements.
• Experience preparing an organization for ISO 9001 or AS9100 certification.
• Relevant ASQ certification or lead auditor training.

Interpersonal Skills

• Proactive and comfortable turning broad goals into clear priorities and completed actions.
• Collaborative and approachable, with the confidence to challenge decisions and enforce requirements respectfully.
• Practical in developing processes that support reliable execution and fit the complexity of the work.
• Organized and consistent in following issues through resolution.
• Clear communicator who can explain requirements and work effectively with engineers, scientists, technicians, and leadership.

Space Tango is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Space Tango is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

This position may require access to technology and information subject to U.S. export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Employment is contingent upon the ability to obtain any necessary government authorizations to access and handle controlled technology and data. Candidates must be able to comply with all applicable export control regulations.