SUMMARY
The Quality Manager is responsible for leading all quality assurance, quality engineering, and compliance activities for a single-site, AS9100-certified defense contractor that designs and manufactures its own products. This role serves as the senior authority for the Quality Management System (QMS) and ensures compliance with AS9100, customer, contractual, and regulatory requirements. In a small-company environment, the Quality Manager is both a strategic leader and a hands-on contributor—setting direction while actively supporting engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and programs to ensure product quality, mission reliability, and customer satisfaction.
ABOUT US
Karman Space & Defense provides concept-to-production solutions for mission-critical systems on spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonics, and integrated defense systems. We believe that solving the industry’s most complex and mission-critical challenges requires relentless determination and a willingness to push the boundaries of possibility. Karman Space & Defense brings to bear unparalleled production capabilities, unmatched engineering expertise, and unflinching analysis to render the impossible, possible.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Company Paid Life Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Holidays
- Tuition Reimbursement*
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own,maintain, and continuously improve the AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
- Ensure compliance with customer quality requirements.
- Lead internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, and document control.
- Serve as the primary interface for third-party, customer, and government audits.
- Ensure quality is embedded across the full product lifecycle: design, development, manufacturing, test, delivery, and sustainment.
- Partner with Engineering on design reviews, risk management, configuration control, and change management.
- Oversee First Article Inspection (AS9102), nonconformance management, MRB activity, and root cause corrective actions.
- Work with manufacturing to ensure process control, inspection effectiveness, and production readiness.
- Manage supplier quality activities, including flow down, supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.
- Mitigate supplier risk to ensure purchased material meets all technical and quality requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field.
- 8–12+ years of quality experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing.
- Demonstrated ownership of an AS9100-certified QMS, including audit leadership.
- Experience supporting both design and manufacturing in a defense environment.
- Ability and willingness to be hands-on in a small-company setting.
- Clear communicator with executives, engineers, and technicians.
- Must be a U.S.Person
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
- To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, certain positions may require applicants to be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
Karman is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality, Manufacturing, or related technical field.
- 8-12+ years of quality experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing.
- Demonstrated ownership of an AS9100-certified Quality Management System, including audit leadership.
- Experience with AS9102 First Article Inspection, nonconformance management, MRB, and root cause/corrective actions.
- Experience supporting both design and manufacturing in a defense environment.
- Ability and willingness to be hands-on in a small-company setting.
- Clear communicator with executives, engineers, and technicians.
- Must be a U.S. Person (meets ITAR requirements).
What We Do
Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War’s core mission priorities and meet our nation’s accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130space and defense programs. For more information, visit our website at Karman-SD.com.
