Quality Systems Leader

Combined Selection Group Ltd; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Combined Selection Group Ltd seeks an experienced Quality Systems Leader to establish, develop, and execute quality systems for aerospace aircraft manufacturing. This role blends leadership with hands-on work on the manufacturing floor to drive scalable processes as programs transition from prototype to repeatable production.

Requirements include 7+ years in aerospace quality within manufacturing, deep AS9100/FAI knowledge, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• 7+ years aerospace quality engineering in manufacturing.
• Experience building and implementing quality systems, not just auditing.
• Experience with aircraft or certified aviation products.
• Strong AS9100 and First Article Inspection knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve an aerospace QMS for manufacturing and readiness.
• Establish procedures for receiving, in-process, FAI, final inspection, and traceability.
• Lead nonconformance, MRB, root-cause analysis, and CAPA.
• Conduct on-floor inspections, audits, investigations, and reviews.
• Manage supplier quality requirements, assessments, nonconformances, and CAPA.
• Maintain records, configuration control, and traceability throughout lifecycle.
• Support aviation certification, regulatory, and production-approval activities.
• Partner with engineering, manufacturing, procurement to embed quality.

Skills

Quality engineering

AS9100 knowledge

Root-cause analysis

Corrective action

Manufacturing experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Quality Systems Leader

Location: Northern Virginia

Employment Type: Full-Time

The Opportunity

A growing aerospace organization is seeking an experienced Quality Systems Leader to establish, develop and execute quality systems supporting advanced aircraft manufacturing. This is a highly hands-on position combining quality-system leadership with direct involvement on the manufacturing floor. You will help develop scalable processes as aircraft programs transition from prototype development toward repeatable production.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, implement and continuously improve an aerospace Quality Management System (QMS) supporting aircraft manufacturing and production readiness. Establish quality procedures covering receiving inspection, in-process inspection, First Article Inspection (FAI), final acceptance and product traceability. Lead nonconformance, MRB, root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive action activities. Conduct hands-on inspections, internal audits, quality investigations and manufacturing-floor reviews. Establish and manage supplier quality requirements, supplier assessments, nonconformances and corrective actions. Maintain quality records, configuration control, documentation and traceability throughout the manufacturing lifecycle. Support applicable aviation certification, regulatory and production-approval activities. Partner closely with engineering, manufacturing, procurement and supply-chain teams to embed quality into aircraft development and production.

Requirements

7+ years of aerospace quality engineering or quality-management experience within a manufacturing environment. Hands-on experience developing and implementing quality systems, rather than solely auditing established systems. Experience supporting the manufacture of aircraft, aircraft components or certified aviation products. Strong knowledge of AS9100 and AS9102 / First Article Inspection principles. Experience with receiving/in-process inspection, nonconformance management, corrective action, root-cause analysis and quality records. Strong understanding of configuration management and manufacturing traceability. Ability to operate independently and take ownership of quality initiatives. Strong communication skills with the ability to work across engineering, manufacturing, suppliers and leadership.

Preferred Experience

Experience within a small-to-medium aerospace manufacturer or startup, particularly involving prototype-to-production transitions, would be highly beneficial. Aircraft manufacturing, supplier quality, regulatory certification, internal/lead auditing and experience establishing quality processes for a growing manufacturing operation are also desirable. This position would suit someone who enjoys building quality systems from the ground up while remaining directly involved with the aircraft, hardware and manufacturing teams.

Interested? If you're an experienced aerospace quality professional who enjoys building quality systems from the ground up and working hands-on with aircraft manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you!