Zev Technologies Quality Manager

Position Title: Quality Manager

Location: Zev Technologies Riverton Utah

Employment Type: Full-Time – On Site

Reports To: VP of Operations

Overview

Zev Technologies is a growing business producing firearms & accessories for Military, Law Enforcement and related industry customers. We are seeking an experienced Quality Manager to lead our Quality Management System, ensure full compliance with all applicable MIL-STD, DoD requirements, and precise design and performance specifications, while strengthening quality disciplines across both operations and engineering.

This role will be critical to building organizational capability. Beyond compliance, the Quality Manager will lead the shift from reactive, inspection-heavy approaches to robust, process-driven quality, embedding quality into every stage of design, production, and product launch. This role is essential in building robust internal and external quality controls, including strengthening supplier quality performance, which is critical to operations and customer satisfaction. The right candidate thrives in a small-business setting-comfortable rolling up their sleeves, establishing core quality systems, and building the QMS framework where needed.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Management System

• Develop, implement and maintain the company's quality management system (QMS) in alignment with the ATF requirements and applicable firearms industry standards.
• Overseas all quality assurance, quality control and compliance activities to ensure the company, firearms, accessories, and components meet and exceed industry standards.
• Maintain policies, procedures, work instructions, and document control infrastructure.
• Ensure system readiness for customer, third-party, environmental, and regulatory audits.

Product Development & Launch (NPI/NPD)

• Serve as the quality lead in product development, engineering, and launch processes.
• Define critical-to-quality requirements, risk controls, validation plans, and inspection content.
• Lead FAI, design verification, production validation, and launch readiness reviews.

Supplier Quality & Supply Chain Performance

• Ensure robust supplier quality management to support a business model heavily dependent on purchased components.
• Develop and maintain supplier qualification, monitoring, and performance systems to ensure consistent adherence to design, performance, and MIL/DoD requirements.
• Partner with supply chain on supplier scorecards, corrective actions, incoming inspection standards, and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Improve supplier reliability, on-time delivery, and component conformity to protect operational flow and customer satisfaction.
• Drive root-cause activities with suppliers and ensure timely, sustainable corrective actions.

Inspection, Testing, and Embedded Quality Controls

• Build inspection and testing strategies that reduce reliance on 100% inspection through improved process capability and error-proofing.
• Strengthen in-process inspection, process control, and standardized work.
• Oversee incoming, in-process, and final inspection where required.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions using 5-Why, 8D, A3, and Fishbone methodologies.

Defense & Regulatory Compliance

• Interpret and apply MIL-STD, MIL-SPEC, and DoD contractual requirements.
• Ensure documentation and testing meet defense-industry requirements.
• Support ITAR, DFARS, and configuration control activities as needed.

Audits, Metrics, and Performance Management

• Plan and execute internal audits for ISO 9001, ISO 14000, and internal quality processes.
• Coordinate external ISO audits, DoD/customer audits, and supplier audits.
• Develop and manage quality performance metrics such as DPPM, scrap, yield, and CAPA closure.
• Maintain accurate quality records, inspection reports, test data, traceability methods, and compliance documentation.

Sales & Customer Service (Customer Issue Resolution)

• Work with Sales and Customers Service to investigate customer complaints, warranty claims, and product failure issues.
• Lead the process to implement improvements based on findings.
• Involved in the RMA process when necessary.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Ability to lead, coach, mentor, develop and influence a high performing quality team.
• Promote process ownership and proactive quality across operations, engineering, and supply chain.
• Support engineering and operations in improving design robustness and manufacturability.
• Drive the organization toward in-process quality, error-proofing (poka-yoke), and standardized work.
• Support continuous improvement through kaizen events, Lean activities, and waste elimination.
• Promote operational excellence through capability building.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing Technology, or a related technical discipline or comparable work experience
• Minimum 5 years of quality leadership experience in a manufacturing environment; experience in the firearms, aerospace, or defense industry is preferred.
• Hands-on experience with MIL-STD/MIL-SPEC and DoD inspection/documentation requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and ISO 14000; experience leading audits.
• Experience integrating quality requirements into product development and launch processes.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and testing requirements.
• Proficiency in root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving methods.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and leadership skills.
• ASQ certifications strongly preferred
• Committed to supporting the ZEV culture, leading with integrity and excising strong business ethics.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with DCMA, customer source inspections, or defense customer audits.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and configuration management.
• Lean manufacturing experience including 5S, Kaizen, poka-yoke, and standardized work.