Quality Manager

Gwynedd Manufacturing, a growing defense contractor located in North Wales, PA, is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility dedicated to producing quality products for the U.S. Department of Defense and various U.S. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. As an innovative company offering a wide array of products, we strive to continuously develop new technology and drive process improvement.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a Quality Manager to oversee our Quality Management System (QMS) and ensure all products meet rigorous military, ISO, and customer requirements. This role will lead the quality team, supervise testing, inspection, and metrology activities, and collaborate with cross-functional departments to drive continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing process. The ideal candidate has a strong background in defense or aerospace manufacturing, proven leadership experience, and extensive expertise in precision metrology, CMM programming, inspection methodologies, statistical process control (SPC), and process capability analysis.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise, manage, and coordinate resources involved in dimensional inspection, metrology, and specification verification.
• Oversee all metrology operations, ensuring accurate calibration, maintenance, and utilization of precision measurement equipment.
• Develop, validate, and optimize CMM inspection programs using industry-standard software (PC-DMIS, Calypso, MCOSMOS, or equivalent).
• Interpret complex engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), military specifications, and customer requirements to establish robust inspection strategies.
• Establish standardized inspection methods utilizing CMMs, optical comparators, vision systems, laser scanners, surface finish equipment, height gages, and other precision measuring instruments.
• Ensure inspection equipment is properly calibrated and maintained in accordance with ISO 17025, ISO 9001, customer requirements, and internal calibration procedures.
• Work with cross-functional teams during design reviews to determine suitable product designs, inspection methods, manufacturing capabilities, and measurement strategies.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to improve manufacturability through Design for Inspection (DFI), process capability studies, and measurement system improvements.
• Partner with external suppliers to ensure compliance with purchase agreements, drawing requirements, and quality system expectations.
• Maintain compliance with ISO 9001:2015, military specifications, ITAR, and other applicable regulatory standards.
• Analyze dimensional data, SPC trends, capability studies (Cp/Cpk), internal scrap, rework, and customer feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and implement effective corrective actions.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis activities utilizing methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, PFMEA, and Control Plans.
• Lead internal quality audits and coordinate customer, government, supplier, and third-party audits.
• Oversee creation, review, and approval of inspection plans, control plans, First Article Inspection (FAI) documentation, inspection reports, and process documentation.
• Develop and maintain procedures for quality, metrology, calibration, inspection, manufacturing processes, process controls, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Serve as the primary contact for internal and external customer quality concerns, ensuring timely containment, investigation, corrective action, and closure.
• Train and mentor quality engineers, inspectors, and technicians on inspection techniques, GD&T interpretation, CMM operation/programming, metrology best practices, and quality tools.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, data-driven decision making, and operational excellence throughout the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive quality leadership experience within a precision manufacturing environment; defense or aerospace manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or management experience leading quality personnel.
• Extensive hands-on experience with precision metrology equipment including hand gages, micrometers, calipers, bore gages, height gages, optical comparators, surface plates, vision inspection systems, laser measurement equipment, and Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs).
• Demonstrated experience programming, operating, troubleshooting, and validating CMMs using PC-DMIS, Calypso, MCOSMOS, or equivalent software.
• Strong understanding of metrology principles, measurement uncertainty, calibration systems, and Measurement System Analysis (MSA), including Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (GR&R).
• Advanced proficiency interpreting engineering drawings and applying ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Strong knowledge of military specifications related to weapon systems and precision machined components.
• Proven experience creating, implementing, and maintaining Quality Management Systems compliant with ISO 9001:2015.
• Proficiency with Statistical Process Control (SPC), capability studies (Cp/Cpk), trend analysis, and data-driven process improvement.
• Experience supporting PPAP, First Article Inspection (AS9102 preferred), Control Plans, PFMEA, and production validation activities.
• Solid understanding and/or proficient utilization of electronic QMS, ERP, and quality data management systems.
•  Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, leadership, communication, and decision-making skills with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
  Proficiency in statistical analysis of manufacturing processes and gage repeatability & reproducibility.

• Strong problem-solving skills in a dynamic environment with effective interpersonal and communication abilities.
• Solid understanding and/or proficient utilization of electronic QMS and ERP systems.

Additional Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required due to federal defense contract requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, if required.
• Maintains professionalism, attention to detail, and safety awareness in all responsibilities.
• Supports cross-functional collaboration and a culture of quality excellence.

Additional Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required due to federal defense contract requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, if required.
• Ability to work in a hands-on manufacturing environment and support production needs as required.
• Maintains professionalism, attention to detail, confidentiality, and a strong commitment to quality and compliance.
• Supports cross-functional collaboration and promotes a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements:

This position is based in a manufacturing environment and may require the following over extended periods of time up to a full 8-hour work shift (excluding lunch and breaks): stand, walk, sit, squat or bend, kneel and rise, lift, carry, push, or pull materials and equipment weighing up to — and occasionally exceeding — 50 pounds, view a computer or other digital screen, work on a computer, workstation or comparable system, and make accurate entries in such systems. Manual dexterity and fine motor skills are required for detailed assembly and precision work. Work may take place in areas with varying temperatures or no climate control, varying noise levels, and production equipment in motion. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn in designated areas at all times as required by company policy. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities but are always subject to safety concerns for the employee and all team members.  Employer may require a physical assessment of the candidate’s ability to perform these tasks as a condition of an offer letter.  Any assessment will be performed by a third party vendor and will be reported on a pass/fail basis with no other medical information conveyed to employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
Gwynedd Manufacturing is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Note: This job description reflects general duties and responsibilities and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Management may modify or assign other responsibilities as needed.