Senior Quality Engineer - AS9100 Certification Lead

Watlow; Maryland Heights (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive program

401(k) match

Wellness program

Employee assistance program

Medical, dental & vision insurance

Paid holidays, personal time, and paid

Parental leave

Job summary

Watlow is seeking a Staff Quality Engineer to lead AS9100 readiness, develop and maintain a compliant QMS, and manage internal audits across Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain. You will drive risk management and continuous improvement in a highly regulated aerospace environment.

The role requires extensive AS9100 experience, strong auditing, and cross-functional leadership to collaborate with customers and suppliers, ensuring compliance and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 6 years with a Master’s, or 3 years with a PhD in Quality fields in aerospace/regulated industries.
• Demonstrated leadership in AS9100 certification or recertification efforts.
• Thorough knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001:2015, and aerospace quality system requirements.
• Experience planning and conducting internal quality audits.
• Experience leading 8D or similar problem-solving methodologies.
• Strong project management and cross-functional leadership.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including presenting to executives/auditors.

Responsibilities

• Lead AS9100 readiness, including project planning, gap assessments, implementation, and certification support.
• Develop and maintain an AS9100-compliant QMS.
• Conduct gap analyses and develop corrective actions.
• Plan and manage internal audits for AS9100/ISO9001 and regulatory requirements.
• Integrate quality planning into product development with Engineering.
• Support supplier quality activities and supplier qualifications.
• Develop risk management processes per AS9100.
• Lead investigations into quality issues and customer complaints.
• Train employees on quality systems and AS9100 expectations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing to improve process capability and reduce defects.
• Engage with customers and suppliers on quality-related activities and reviews.

Skills

Quality systems

AS9100 knowledge

Internal audits

8D problem solving

Project management

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Quality/Engineering

Tools

Oracle Fusion ERP

PLM

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Staff Quality Engineer to lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of our Quality Management System (QMS) in preparation for AS9100 certification. This role will serve as a key partner across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Leadership to establish robust quality processes, ensure regulatory and customer compliance, and build a culture of operational excellence.

The ideal candidate has successfully led or played a significant role in achieving AS9100 certification and possesses strong expertise in quality systems, risk management, auditing, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the organization's readiness efforts for AS9100 certification, including project planning, gap assessments, implementation, and certification support.
• Develop, implement, and maintain an AS9100-compliant Quality Management System (QMS).
• Conduct comprehensive gap analyses against AS9100 requirements and develop corrective action plans.
• Plan, conduct, and manage internal audits to verify compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Engineering to integrate quality planning into product development, design reviews, design changes, and configuration management.
• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering function to support supplier quality activities including supplier qualification, audits, corrective actions, and performance monitoring.
• Develop risk management processes consistent with AS9100 requirements, including risk identification, mitigation, and monitoring.
• Lead investigations into quality issues, customer complaints, escapes, and nonconforming materials.
• Train employees on quality system requirements, quality tools, auditing practices, and AS9100 expectations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and operations to improve process capability, reduce defects, and increase operational efficiency.
• Represent quality function in customer requirements capture, contract review, opportunity review, new production development, and new product introduction activities related to aerospace and defense opportunities and projects.
• Lead engagement activities with customers and suppliers.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship/No Dual Citizenship
• Bachelor's Degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 6 years of experience and a Master’s degree, or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent experience in Quality Engineering or Quality Systems within aerospace, defense, aviation, or other highly regulated manufacturing industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading or significantly contributing to an AS9100 certification or recertification effort.
• Thorough knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001:2015, and aerospace quality system requirements.
• Experience planning and conducting internal quality audits.
• Experience leading or facilitating eight disciplines (8D) problem solving or similar corrective methodologies to determine root cause and implement permanent corrective action.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to executive leadership and external auditors.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office.

Desired Qualifications

• AS9100 Lead Auditor certification.
• Experience working with aerospace OEMs or Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers.
• Experience supporting FAA, DoD, NASA, or other aerospace regulatory environments.
• Familiarity with NADCAP requirements and special process oversight.
• Experience with ERP, PLM, and electronic document management systems.
• Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, and First Article Inspection (FAI) per AS9145
• Proficiency using Oracle Fusion ERP, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and other electronic business systems.