Position Summary:

Responsible for Quality department performance and execution at the New Jersey site. This position maintains and improves all elements of the ISO 9001 Quality Management system and serves as Management Representative. In this position, the Quality Manager oversees areas of Internal Audits, Supplier Quality, Quality Engineering, and Quality Support. The Quality Manager is responsible for effective staffing and training of quality department staff, plans, assigns, and directs work, appraises performance, rewards and disciplines employees, addresses complaints, and resolves problems.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

Essential functions of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Execute supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws and ensures company and departmental procedures are followed.
• Manage day-to-day workflow and priorities to ensure schedule commitments are maintained.
• Develop plans for inspection activities and related reporting.
• Develop annual budget and monitor expenditures.
• Develop and execute strategies to achieve/exceed key performance metrics: e.g. Customer Escapes, First Pass Yield, supplier quality, etc. Implement effective action when they are not being met.
• Engage directly with suppliers to address quality issues and drive improvements.
• Engage directly with customers to facilitate inspections, customer audits, and resolve customer quality issues.
• Manage the corrective action process to effectively determine root cause of non-conformances, implement corrective actions, and verify effectiveness.
• Participate in the contract review process to ensure customer quality requirements are met.
• Participate in the development and execution of the department’s overall goals and objectives.
• Develop and implement continual improvement of the quality department’s methods and capabilities.
• Analyze data obtained during quality assurance activities and initiate improvement efforts as appropriate.
• Communicate significant quality assurance issues to appropriate members of senior management.
• Maintain a working knowledge of government and industry quality assurance standards.
• Review, amend, and approve standard operating procedures, specifications, and other controlled quality department documentation.
• Participate regularly in PIA (Parachute Industry Association) to network for best practices and to maintain excellent industry relations.
• Perform other related duties as required or assigned.
• Follow company rules and procedures.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or equivalent required. MS Degree in Engineering is a plus.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) a plus.
• Current ISO 9001 Internal Auditor certification a plus.
• Minimum ten years related experience with minimum five years’ experience in a quality management role in an aerospace-related manufacturing environment.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience managing an ISO 9001 or AS9100 quality system and successfully passing multiple audit cycles.
• Experience managing supplier relationships.
• Familiarity with government FAR and DFAR clauses desirable.
• Understanding of lean, SPC and six sigma.
• Strong background in the corrective action process.
• Effectively communicates at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to communicate with suppliers and customers in a clear, detailed and tactful manner.
• Excellent written, verbal, and analytical skills.
• Open minded with excellent collaboration skills.
• Ability to write procedures, specifications, and corrective actions.

Training Requirements:

Minimum of 10 years of quality systems experience in a manufacturing environment is desired.

Travel Requirements:

Periodic travel may be required to support project functions such as supplier visits, product testing, and technical customer meetings.

ITAR Requirements:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Physical Demands: (*)

The position requires that the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel. The employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; stoop, and kneel. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with assistance. Vision requirements include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment: (*)

This position will require a working environment mix comprised of office, shop floor, field and customer locations (both domestic and international). While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to static electricity; explosives in test conditions; fumes; airborne particles; outside weather conditions prevalent at the time and an air-conditioned and heated office. The noise level is normally moderate may be occasionally high.

• Note: Both the Physical Demand and Work Environment sections are required by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

Airborne Systems is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.