Senior Supplier Quality Leader – Aerospace & Defense

Woven; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Supplier Quality Manager to lead multiple supplier quality engineering teams across aerospace and defense suppliers, ensuring compliance with AS9100 and QMS requirements, supplier development, audits, and corrective actions.

The role partners with engineering, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain to resolve complex supplier quality issues, strengthen capabilities, and reduce risk across the supply base. Travel up to 50% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical field.
• 9+ years of related experience with 2–5 years of leadership/management experience, including direct supervision of quality or supplier quality engineering staff.
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100/ISO 9001 quality management systems and aerospace supplier quality requirements.
• Proficiency in root cause analysis and structured problem‑solving methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone).
• Experience with supplier qualification, PPAP, and First Article Inspection (AS9102) processes.
• Working knowledge of statistical process control (SPC) and quality inspection methods.
• Understanding of ITAR/EAR and DFARS requirements applicable to aerospace and defense suppliers.
• Demonstrated people leadership skills, including coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration and supplier relationship management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems, such as Acumatica, SAP, or comparable platforms
• Familiarity with Quality Management System (QMS) software
• Experience with statistical analysis tools, such as Minitab
• Familiarity with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software
• Ability to travel to supplier and manufacturing sites, domestically and occasionally internationally, up to approximately 50% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple supplier quality engineering teams responsible for supplier qualification, development, surveillance, performance management, and corrective action across the supply base.
• Establish supplier quality priorities, allocate resources, and translate functional objectives into staffing, workload, and execution plans supporting program and organizational requirements.
• Develop quality leaders and engineering personnel through coaching, performance management, succession planning, workforce development, and technical growth.
• Oversee supplier qualification, risk assessment, periodic performance reviews, site audits, source inspections, and approved supplier status across complex aerospace commodities and processes.
• Ensure supplier requirements are appropriately flowed down and suppliers comply with applicable QMS, engineering, customer, contractual, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes, process controls, First Article Inspection (FAI/AS9102), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), inspection methods, and quality documentation to assess production readiness and capability.
• Review supplier performance using defect rates, nonconformances, escapes, on‑time delivery, rework and scrap costs, SCAR performance, and other quality indicators to identify systemic risks and improvement priorities.
• Guide resolution of complex supplier nonconformances through containment, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, disposition, and verification of corrective action effectiveness.
• Escalate significant supplier quality risks and guide Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), supplier recovery activities, and capability improvement plans affecting product quality or program execution.
• Partner with engineering, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain to address supplier producibility, design for manufacturability (DFM), process capability, and quality risks.
• Evaluate supplier capability, quality trends, process performance, and recurring issues to establish development priorities for critical and strategic suppliers.
• Advance supplier quality processes, business systems, analytics, and continuous improvement practices that strengthen supplier capability, quality performance, and supply‑base resilience.

Skills

Leadership

Quality systems

Root cause analysis

PPAP/AS9102

SPC

ITAR/DFARS

Cross-functional

Excel

ERP/MRP

QMS software

Minitab

PLM

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering/Quality

Tools

Acumatica

SAP

QMS software

Job description

CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Supplier Quality Manager to lead multiple supplier quality engineering teams across aerospace and defense suppliers, ensuring compliance with AS9100 and QMS requirements, supplier development, audits, and corrective actions.

The role partners with engineering, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain to resolve complex supplier quality issues, strengthen capabilities, and reduce risk across the supply base. Travel up to 50% may be required.