QMS Manager

Job Description

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:

The Quality Management System (QMS) Manager is responsible for the day-to-day administration, maintenance, deployment, and continual improvement of the Technical Directions Inc. (TDI) Quality Management System. Reporting to the Quality Manager, this role ensures the QMS remains current, controlled, effective, measurable, and audit-ready in accordance with AS9100D, ISO 9001, applicable aerospace and defense requirements, customer and contractual obligations, and corporate governance.

The QMS Manager converts quality-system requirements into disciplined operating practices across Engineering, Configuration Management, Program Management, Operations, Test, Supply Chain, and Quality. Primary areas of responsibility include document and record control, internal audit administration, corrective-action workflow governance, management-review preparation, process metrics and objectives, risk and opportunity records, training records, and QMS software administration.

The QMS Manager works closely with the Quality, Supplier Quality, Configuration Management, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, PMO and other functional leaders. The position concentrates on quality-system administration, compliance, audit readiness, process effectiveness, and timely completion of quality-system actions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

QMS Administration and Compliance Governance

• Administers the TDI Quality Management System in alignment with AS9100D, ISO 9001, corporate requirements, customer-specific requirements, and applicable contractual and regulatory obligations.
• Maintains the QMS structure, process architecture, procedure hierarchy, compliance matrix, process responsibility model, and documented interaction of core business processes.
• Monitors changes to applicable standards, customer clauses, corporate requirements, and regulatory obligations; coordinates gap assessments and implementation plans with the Quality Manager and affected process owners.
• Ensures required QMS processes are defined, deployed, measured, reviewed, and supported by objective evidence.
• Provides QMS interpretation and coaching to process owners while escalating unresolved compliance risks, systemic breakdowns, or repeated nonconformance to the Quality Manager.
  
  

Document and Record Control

• Administers controlled-document workflows for policies, procedures, process maps, work instructions, forms, templates, quality plans, and externally controlled documents.
• Coordinates document drafting, review, approval, release, revision, periodic review, obsolescence, archival, and employee notification in accordance with established authority and approval requirements.
• Ensures current revisions are available at the point of use and prevents unintended use of obsolete, draft, or unapproved documents.
• Maintains quality-record requirements, retention periods, indexing, accessibility, protection, disposition, and audit evidence across electronic and physical systems.
• Partners with Configuration Management to maintain clear boundaries between QMS document control and product-definition/configuration control, including drawings, specifications, BOMs, ECR/ECO/ECN records, and effectivity.
  
  

Internal Audit Program and External Audit Readiness

• Develops and maintains a risk-based internal audit schedule covering QMS processes, applicable AS9100D clauses, customer requirements, and prior areas of concern.
• Plans, coordinates, performs, and documents internal process audits, system audits, mini audits, and follow-up verification activities using qualified auditors.
• Maintains auditor competency records, audit checklists, schedules, evidence, findings, reports, and closure records.
• Ensures auditor independence and avoids assigning personnel to audit their own work or areas of direct responsibility.
• Coordinates audit preparation, objective evidence, schedules, meeting support, and action tracking for registrar, customer, corporate, DCMA, or other authorized external audits.
• Supports the Quality Manager as the primary external-audit representative and coordinates documentation and timely closure of commitments, findings, and follow-up actions.
  
  

Corrective Action, Nonconformance System, and Root-Cause Governance

• Administers the NCR, CAR, CAPA, and related quality-event workflows, including assignment, containment status, due dates, aging, approvals, effectiveness verification, and closure documentation.
• Maintains clear workflow criteria for problem description, containment, root cause, corrective action, implementation evidence, verification, and effectiveness review.
• Facilitates structured root-cause and corrective-action activity using methods such as 5 Whys, Fishbone, 8D, A3, DMAIC, or equivalent tools when system-level coordination is required.
• Reviews corrective-action packages for completeness and system compliance; returns incomplete records and escalates overdue or ineffective actions to process owners and the Quality Manager.
• Analyzes repeat findings, recurrence, aging, and systemic trends to identify weak controls, ineffective actions, or opportunities for preventive improvement.
• Coordinates with MRB, Engineering, authorized Quality personnel, and the Quality Manager when corrective-action activity involves technical product disposition, acceptance, or release decisions.
  
  

Management Review, Objectives, Metrics, and Risk Management

• Coordinates the management-review calendar, agenda, required inputs, data package, attendance, minutes, decisions, and action tracking in accordance with AS9100D requirements.
• Maintains controlled records for process performance, quality objectives, PEARs, customer feedback, audit results, supplier performance inputs, nonconformance trends, corrective actions, resource needs, and improvement opportunities.
• Works with process owners to define measurable objectives, KPI definitions, data sources, review frequency, targets, corrective-action thresholds, and documented trend analysis.
• Maintains the enterprise QMS risk and opportunity register, review cadence, assigned responsibilities, rankings, mitigations, residual risk, and evidence of effectiveness.
• Prepares quality-system dashboards and reports covering audit findings, corrective-action aging, document status, training status, process performance, objective attainment, and systemic risk.
• Works with process leaders to document results, recovery actions, responsibilities, due dates, and evidence of completion.
  
  

Training, Competency, and Quality Awareness

• Administers QMS-related training requirements, assignment workflows, completion tracking, acknowledgment records, retraining triggers, and evidence of competency where required.
• Coordinates onboarding and recurring training for AS9100D awareness, document control, nonconformance reporting, corrective action, internal auditing, risk-based thinking, records, and applicable customer requirements.
• Supports the development and qualification of internal auditors and QMS process owners.
• Partners with functional leaders to ensure technical qualifications, inspection certifications, production skills, and role-specific competency records are defined and maintained by the appropriate department.
• Identifies overdue, incomplete, missing, or ineffective training records and escalates compliance risk to responsible leaders and the Quality Manager.
  
  

QMS Digital Systems, Deltek TIPQA, and Data Integrity

• Serves as a primary functional administrator or subject-matter resource for assigned QMS software, workflows, permissions, records, dashboards, and user support.
• Supports configuration, testing, deployment, and continual improvement of QMS modules for document control, audits, NCR/CAR/CAPA, training, calibration interfaces, supplier quality records, and reporting as applicable.
• Maintains data standards, required fields, status definitions, user roles, approval workflows, record retention, and reporting logic to support accurate and audit-ready system records.
• Coordinates QMS data migration, validation, and integration activities involving Deltek Costpoint, Deltek TIPQA, UniPoint, PLM/configuration systems, inspection systems, and reporting tools as assigned.
• Develops user guides, desk procedures, training materials, and troubleshooting support to improve system adoption and reduce offline or uncontrolled workarounds.
• Monitors system access and workflow segregation in coordination with Quality leadership, Operations, IT, and corporate system administrators.
  
  

Aerospace, Defense, Customer, and Regulatory Compliance

• Maintains working application of AS9100D and ISO 9001 requirements and supports compliance with applicable aerospace and defense standards, including AS9102 First Article Inspection, AS9145 APQP/PPAP, and AS9103 variation management/key characteristics.
• Supports implementation and evidence requirements associated with FAR/DFARS clauses, ITAR/EAR controls, customer-specific quality clauses, Government and customer property requirements, and record-retention obligations.
• Supports counterfeit-part and suspect-material prevention controls consistent with applicable customer requirements and standards such as AS5553 and AS6174 where contractually applicable.
• Coordinates special-process and Nadcap-related compliance evidence and action tracking with designated technical and Supplier Quality personnel, where applicable.
• Coordinates compliance evidence and action tracking for customer source inspections, DCMA oversight, quality surveys, and contractual reviews as assigned by the Quality Manager.
  
  

Cross-Functional Coordination and Continual Improvement

• Partners with Engineering, Configuration Management, Program Management, Operations, Test, Supply Chain, Human Resources, IT, and Quality to embed disciplined QMS requirements into normal business processes.
• Facilitates process mapping, SIPOC development, workflow clarification, standardization, and handoff definition to strengthen process responsibility and reduce people-dependent execution.
• Uses audit results, quality data, employee feedback, customer feedback, and recurring issues to prioritize systemic improvement opportunities.
• Supports quality culture, prevention, accountability, standard work, and evidence-based decision-making across the organization.
• Maintains confidentiality and protects proprietary, customer, Government, and export-controlled information.
• Other duties may be assigned.
  
  

AUTHORITY AND ESCALATION:

• Escalates significant compliance, safety, product, customer, or systemic risks to the Quality Manager and appropriate leadership for timely action.
• Establishes action-tracking expectations, due dates, status reporting, and escalation pathways for QMS activities.
• Returns incomplete records for correction and coordinates required approvals, objective evidence, traceability, and effectiveness verification before workflow closure.
• Reviews QMS documents, audit records, corrective-action packages, training records, and management-review inputs for completeness and compliance.
  
  

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

May directly supervise QMS administrators, document-control personnel, internal-audit resources, or other assigned quality-system support personnel. Provides functional leadership, task direction, training, performance feedback, and coordination to assigned personnel, internal auditors, and cross-functional process leaders.

Experience And Skills

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Required

• Thorough working knowledge of AS9100D and ISO 9001 quality-management-system requirements, including process approach, risk-based thinking, documented information, internal audits, management review, corrective action, and continual improvement.
• Demonstrated experience applying aerospace and defense requirements, including AS9100, AS9145, AS9103, FAR/DFARS quality clauses, ITAR/EAR controls, customer-specific quality requirements, and Government or customer recordkeeping obligations as applicable.
• Experience administering internal audit programs, corrective-action systems, document control, quality records, management reviews, objectives, process metrics, and risk registers in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of audit planning, objective-evidence evaluation, nonconformance writing, root-cause analysis, corrective-action effectiveness, and finding closure.
• Ability to interpret standards, contracts, customer clauses, procedures, and process evidence and translate them into practical system requirements and controlled workflows.
• Experience with electronic QMS platforms, document-management systems, workflow configuration, permissions, data integrity, reporting, and user training.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including filters, lookups, pivot tables, trend analysis, reconciliation, and dashboard support.
• Strong written communication and technical-documentation skills with the ability to create clear procedures, audit reports, management-review materials, and compliance records.
• Ability to influence process owners, maintain independence and objectivity, manage competing priorities, and escalate risk.
• Ability to maintain confidential, proprietary, customer, Government, and export-controlled information in accordance with ITAR/EAR and DoD requirements.
  
  

Preferred

• Hands-on experience with Deltek TIPQA, including document control, audit, nonconformance, corrective-action, training, workflow, dashboard, or system-administration functionality.
• Experience with UniPoint or another enterprise QMS platform and integration with Deltek Costpoint, ERP/MRP, PLM, configuration management, CMM, or reporting systems.
• Experience supporting AS9100 certification, surveillance, recertification, customer, corporate, DCMA, or regulatory audits.
• Working knowledge of AS5553, AS6174, Nadcap oversight, special-process controls, counterfeit-part prevention, and defense-industry quality requirements where applicable.
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), AS9100 Lead Auditor, or equivalent certification.
• Lean, Six Sigma, process mapping, statistical analysis, or formal continual-improvement experience.
• Experience implementing, migrating, or stabilizing a QMS during rapid organizational and production growth.
  
  

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, Operations, or a related discipline; equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5-8 years of progressive experience in quality systems, quality assurance, compliance, internal auditing, or quality engineering within aerospace, defense, propulsion, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 3 years of direct experience maintaining or administering an AS9100D-certified or certification-seeking Quality Management System.
• Demonstrated experience with internal audits, management reviews, corrective-action closure, controlled documentation, quality records, and cross-functional process governance.
• U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance may be required.
  
  

Preferred

• Master's degree in Quality, Engineering Management, Operations, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in gas-turbine, propulsion, aerospace-component, uncrewed-system, missile, or defense manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading QMS software implementation, process digitization, audit recovery, certification readiness, or corrective-action stabilization initiatives.
  
  

WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Office, manufacturing, inspection, laboratory, warehouse, and test environments with regular interaction across all TDI functions.
• May work extended hours during external audits, customer reviews, corrective-action recovery, certification activities, or major program milestones.
• Exposure to manufacturing conditions including noise, equipment, chemicals, controlled materials, ESD-sensitive areas, and FOD-sensitive workspaces.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, review records, observe processes, and conduct audits for extended periods.
• May be required to lift or move documents, equipment, or components up to 40 lbs. in accordance with TDI safety requirements.
  
  

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• 0-25% travel may be required to support customer or registrar audits, other Kratos locations, suppliers, training, or quality-system activities.
  
  

THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK BEING PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO THIS CLASSIFICATION. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED OF PERSONNEL SO CLASSIFIED.

A REVIEW OF THIS CLASSIFICATION HAS EXCLUDED THE MARGINAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASSIFICATION THAT ARE INCIDENTAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL JOB JUTIES. ALL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE MODIFICATION TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THIS JOB PROFICIENTLY. THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE THE MINIMUM LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES.

EEO/M/F/D/V

Job Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Coverage
• Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Paid Time-Off (PTO)
• Holidays
• Education Reimbursement
  
  

Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. EOE, Minorities, Females, Vet, Disabled, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or any other protected class. All qualified job seekers are encouraged to apply. Kratos Defense is committed to America's veterans by providing opportunities for them to continue contributing after service to our nation. We also work to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

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