Director Quality & Continuous Improvement

This position can be based in one of the following locations: Rochester, NH; South Lake City, UT; Boerne, TX; Dallas, TX

Job Purpose

The Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving global quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives across the enterprise. This leader will champion a culture of operational excellence, leveraging data, Lean Six Sigma methodologies, and quality systems to ensure the highest standards of product integrity, safety, and customer satisfaction.

The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams to develop and implement scalable quality strategies, enhance process efficiencies, and ensure compliance with industry and customer-specific standards (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR). This role will also support the transformation agenda led by Integrated Operations, aligning quality and improvement initiatives with broader business objectives.

Job Responsibilities

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to conform to the following values: Safety, Fact Based, Accountable, Respectful, Persistence and Ethical. Put Safety first at all times, never compromise on safety for the obtainment of other objectives. Responsible for health and safety of themselves and coworkers.

• Develop, lead, and execute a global quality strategy that ensures compliance, product reliability, and customer satisfaction across all sites and regions.
• Lead the organization’s continuous improvement roadmap, identifying and executing initiatives that drive operational efficiency, cost reduction, and value creation.
• Oversee global quality management systems (QMS), ensuring alignment with AS9100, ISO 9001, and other relevant standards.
• Act as the company’s primary quality leader for regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, ensuring readiness and effective closure of findings.
• Implement and monitor KPIs and quality metrics, leveraging data to identify trends, root causes, and areas for improvement.
• Partner with site leadership, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and other functions to embed quality and CI principles into daily operations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of quality and continuous improvement professionals; foster a high-performance, collaborative culture.

• Drive standardization of processes and tools across the organization while enabling site-level flexibility and accountability.
• Collaborate with the VP of Integrated Operations & Transformation on enterprise-wide initiatives, including digital transformation, lean deployment, and cultural change.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, customer requirements, and regulatory changes, ensuring proactive adaptation and compliance.

Key KPI’s

• First Pass Yield (FPY) Improvement – % increase year-over-year in FPY across key manufacturing sites
• Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) – Reduction in COPQ as a % of revenue
• Customer Quality Performance – Measured by PPM (parts per million), escape rates, and customer scorecards
• Audit Performance – % successful completion of internal, customer, and regulatory audits (zero major findings)
• Corrective Action Closure Rate – Timely and effective implementation of corrective actions (e.g., 90%+ closure within defined timeframe)
• Lean Project Impact – Annual cost savings, cycle time reductions, or efficiency gains from CI initiatives
• Employee Engagement in CI – % of workforce trained and actively participating in CI activities (Kaizens, green belt projects, etc.)
• QMS Compliance & Standardization – % of sites aligned with corporate QMS standards and certified to AS9100 / ISO 9001
• Customer Satisfaction / Complaint Resolution – Reduction in complaint volume and improved resolution time
• Training & Certification – % of quality and CI team certified to required levels (e.g., Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, ASQ certifications)

Supervisory responsibility: Yes

Supervisors are responsible for overseeing their work group including but not limited to: formal evaluations/performance management as set out by the organization, recruitment and developing

Qualifications/Characteristics

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field required; advanced degree (MBA, MEng) preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in quality, operations, or continuous improvement within aerospace, defense, or a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Deep knowledge of aerospace industry standards (AS9100, ISO 9001, FAA, ITAR) and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Proven track record of leading Lean, Six Sigma, and/or Operational Excellence programs at a global scale (Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification preferred).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to leverage data for decision-making and strategic planning.
• Exceptional leadership and influencing skills, with experience managing geographically distributed teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to drive cultural and operational change in complex, matrixed environments.

Working Conditions

Office environment, duties performed indoors, moderate to quiet noise and comfortable temperatures. Not substantially exposed to adverse environmental condition levels. Ability to work 24/7 schedule and be available as business situations require. Approximately 25% - 40% global travel depending on business needs.

Physical requirements

Occasionally positions self to move an office item >10 lbs.

Frequently move about the production floor and office area to attend meetings or trainings

Must be able to remain in a stationary position up to 75% of the time

Frequently operates a computer, enters data into systems, verifies information, etc…