Quality, Director

Company Overview ARA is a leading C5ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests and installs innovative technologies that provide the national security community with unparalleled situational awareness, threat detection, and communications capabilities. Our disruptive, integrated solutions, assemblies and subsystems rise to the challenging demands of discerning, mission-critical customers. We leverage our capabilities to meet and exceed the requirements of our customers and empower them to remain ahead of evolving threats and complexities in a dynamic security landscape. Job Summary The Director of Quality is accountable for establishing, maintaining, and continually improving the companys Quality Management System (QMS) and for ensuring products, processes, and suppliers consistently meet customer, contractual, regulatory, and internal requirements. This operational leader will build a proactive quality culture that prevents defects, reduces cost of poor quality, improves on-time delivery, and protects customer confidence. This role leads AS9100/ISO 9001 compliance and, where applicable, FAA, DoD, ITAR/EAR, customer flow-down, special-process, configuration-management, and source-inspection requirements. AS9100 leadership expectations include integrating the QMS into core business processes, applying risk-based thinking, and reporting QMS performance to leadership. Travel requirement: Up to 15-25%, including supplier and customer visits as needed. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are authorized to access information under this program/ contract. Essential Functions Quality Strategy and Leadership Develop and execute a quality strategy aligned with the companys growth plan, operational objectives, customer commitments, and risk profile.Establish annual quality objectives, operating plans, staffing models, capital needs, and improvement roadmaps.Serve as the senior authority for product quality, QMS effectiveness, release readiness, audit response, and regulatory/customer quality matters.Build a culture in which quality is owned by every functionnot merely inspected at the end of production.Partner with the COO, Engineering, Operations,Supply Chain, and Program Management to integrate quality into SIOP, program reviews, production readiness, make/buy decisions, supplier selection, and new-product introduction.Lead management-review processes and provide clear executive reporting on quality performance, key risks, corrective actions, and resource needs. Quality Management System and Compliance Own the design, maintenance, certification, and continual improvement of the QMS, including policies, procedures, work instructions, records, document control, training, and internal-audit processes.Maintain AS9100D and/or ISO 9001 certification, as applicable; prepare the organization for registrar, customer, government, and regulatory audits.Ensure controlled processes for nonconformance, corrective action, preventive action, root-cause analysis, change control, risk management, calibration, inspection, traceability, and record retention.Ensure quality requirements are incorporated into operating procedures, engineering processes, work instructions, purchasing documents, and supplier flow-downs.Oversee compliance with customer, contractual, statutory, and regulatory requirements, including export-controlled information where applicable. Product and Process Quality Lead quality planning from proposal through design, prototype, qualification, production launch, sustainment, and field support.Establish robust quality gates for contract review, design transfer, first article inspection, production readiness, in-process inspection, final acceptance, and shipment release.Ensure effective use of APQP-like planning, PFMEA, control plans, first article inspection (FAI), process validation, capability studies, and risk-based inspection plans as appropriate.Drive containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent corrective actions for internal defects, escapes, returns, customer complaints, and field failures.Ensure material, product, and configuration traceability requirements are met throughout the value stream.Approve or oversee disposition of nonconforming material, including material review board (MRB) processes, use-as-is/rework decisions, and escalation of significant quality risk. Supplier Quality Lead the supplier-quality program, including supplier qualification, risk segmentation, audits, scorecards, source inspection, receiving inspection strategy, and supplier development.Establish quality flow-down requirements in purchase orders and supplier agreements.Partner with Supply Chain to improve supplier delivery, incoming quality, responsiveness, and capacity reliability.Lead supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), verification of corrective-action effectiveness, and escalation for chronically underperforming suppliers. A SCAR formally requires a supplier to investigate nonconformance, identify root cause, implement corrective action, and demonstrate resolution.Support supplier selection and make/buy decisions with a clear assessment of technical, quality, compliance, and supply-continuity risk. Audits and Customer Interface Serve as the primary quality representative for customers, government representatives, registrars, and third-party auditors.Lead preparation for and response to customer audits, surveillance audits, source inspections, quality reviews, and corrective-action requests.Communicate material quality issues promptly, factually, and constructively with customers and internal executives.Ensure audit findings, customer complaints, and corrective actions are closed on time and validated for effectiveness.Support major proposals, customer reviews, production readiness reviews, and new program launches by demonstrating QMS maturity and execution readiness. Continuous Improvement and Analytics Establish a practical quality operating system using KPIs, daily/weekly management routines, layered process audits, quality alerts, escalation paths, and recurring problem-solving reviews.Deploy Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, A3, 5 Whys, Ishikawa, DOE, statistical process control, and mistake-proofing methods at the appropriate level of rigor.Reduce cost of poor quality through prevention, early detection, process capability improvement, and supplier-performance improvement.Use data to identify systemic issues across product lines, sites, programs, processes, and suppliers.Develop team capability through coaching, certification, cross-functional problem solving, and succession planning. Position Qualifications In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Competency Statements Adaptability - Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilitiesCommunication - Ability to communicate thoughts clearly, both oral and written in an honest, open and timely mannerJob Knowledge - Understands facets of job, aware of duties and responsibilities, keeps job knowledge currentTechnical Skill - Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to perform a job or role effectivelyDependability - Meets deadlines, works independently or in a team environment, is accountable, maintains focus, good attendance recordQuality - Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve productsEthics - Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality Initiative / Take Ownership - Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion, meaning own your job and see it throughDecision Making - Problem solve and critical thinking skills, be able to reach a decision, takes thoughtful approach when considering options, seeks input from others, makes difficult decisionsCustomer Focus - Understands and can meet the needs in a customer-centric (Internal and External) environment and build strong relationships. Promotes a positive image of the company and strives to solve issues raised by customersEmployee Management & Development - Manage day-to-day performance, guides, motives, coaches and develops employees to reach their potential, provides and requests employee feedbackLeadership - Provides strong leadership, sets a good example, skilled decision maker, motivator and encouragerResults Driven - Defines appropriate goals, works toward achieving goals, articulates vision and steps for achievement Experience and Skills 10+ years of progressive quality leadership experience in aerospace, defense, electronics, industrial manufacturing, or another highly regulated environment.5+ years leading a quality organization with responsibility for QMS, quality engineering, inspection, supplier quality, and audit performance.Demonstrated experience leading and maintaining AS9100, ISO 9001, or an equivalent regulated-industry QMS.Working knowledge of design assurance, configuration management, document control, product traceability, first article inspection, MRB, calibration, inspection/test, and supplier-quality management.Strong command of structured problem solving and corrective action, including 8D, 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, FMEA, CAPA, and verification of effectiveness.Experience leading customers, registrar, government, or regulatory audits and closing audit findings.Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional leaders and make sound risk-based decisions under schedule and delivery pressure. Preferred ASQ certifications such as Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).Experience with FAA Part 21 production approval, DCMA/customer source inspection, Nadcap, special processes, or mission-critical electronics.Experience in a private-equity-backed, high-growth, turnaround, or acquisition-integration environment.Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt certification and demonstrated deployment of measurable improvement programs.Experience with ERP, MES, QMS, PLM, statistical-analysis, and dashboard tools. Leadership Profile The successful candidate is: A hands-on, visible leader who can move comfortably between the executive staff meeting, manufacturing floor, supplier audit, and customer quality review.Commercially pragmatic while uncompromising on safety, product conformity, ethics, and regulatory compliance.Skilled at shifting the organization from detection-based quality to prevention-based quality.A disciplined operator who uses metrics, standard work, escalation paths, and accountabilitynot bureaucracyto improve performance.A clear communicator who can explain risk, technical detail, and corrective-action status to operators, engineers, customers, and executives.Confident in exercising stop-work or stop-ship authority, when necessary, while working collaboratively to restore compliant flow quickly. Education Bachelors degree in engineering, quality, operations, manufacturing, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience may be considered.Masters degree in engineering, operations, quality, or business administration preferred. Antenna Research Associates, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to a policy of non-discrimination and affirmative action. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.