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Senior Manager, Quality – Development Programs (R5315)

Shield AI· Aircraft Operations Division – Quality
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Dallas, TX$160k - $240kFull Time EmployeePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Senior Manager of Quality responsible for establishing and leading all quality activities for a complex aerospace development program from prototype through production readiness. Acts as primary quality leader embedded within the program team, partnering with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Flight Test, and Program Management to ensure products are designed, developed, tested, and transitioned to production with quality, reliability, and mission success. Builds and leads a multidisciplinary quality team and implements scalable quality systems and risk management processes for a rapidly growing aerospace and defense organization.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the quality leader for XBAT development.
  • Establish quality strategy, objectives, and metrics aligned with program milestones.
  • Integrate quality requirements into the product development lifecycle.
  • Ensure quality considerations are incorporated during system architecture, design reviews, verification, validation, and qualification activities.
  • Partner with Engineering leadership to identify and mitigate technical and programmatic risks.
  • Drive a culture of proactive quality and continuous improvement throughout the program.
  • Ensure quality requirements are appropriately captured in product definitions, specifications, and design documentation.
  • Participate in design reviews, change control boards, and configuration management activities.
  • Ensure full configuration and traceability for all material installed into prototype aircraft.
  • Evaluate engineering changes for quality and production readiness impacts.
  • Support requirements verification and validation planning.
  • Drive design-for-manufacturing, design-for-quality, and design-for-reliability initiatives.
  • Lead quality participation in program risk management activities.
  • Establish and maintain FRACAS processes for development and flight test phases of the program.
  • Facilitate root cause and corrective action investigations for design, manufacturing, supplier, and field failures.
  • Support reliability growth planning and execution.
  • Monitor defect trends, failure modes, and reliability metrics to identify systemic risks.
  • Develop quality oversight strategies for laboratory, ground, and flight test activities.
  • Ensure test results, anomalies, and nonconformances are appropriately documented and dispositioned.
  • Support qualification and certification efforts.
  • Establish processes for managing test escapes, failures, and corrective actions.
  • Lead Material Review Board activities for development hardware.
  • Establish scalable processes for nonconformance management.
  • Drive root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies.
  • Ensure timely and effective corrective and preventive actions.
  • Track effectiveness of corrective actions through closure.
  • Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams to transition products from prototype to production.
  • Define quality requirements for production readiness reviews.
  • Support development of inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and control strategies.
  • Ensure lessons learned from development are incorporated into production processes.
  • Lead quality planning activities supporting low-rate initial production and rate increases.
  • Develop and implement quality processes supporting aerospace development programs.
  • Ensure compliance with AS9100, customer requirements, and internal procedures.
  • Drive continuous improvement of development quality processes.
  • Support internal and external audits as required.
  • Establish scalable systems that support future production growth.
  • Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing quality organization.
  • Recruit and develop quality engineers, inspectors, and technicians.
  • Establish clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations.
  • Promote a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and collaboration.
  • Develop organizational capabilities to support future company growth.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline.
  • 10+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, aviation, space, or other highly regulated industries.
  • 5+ years of leadership experience managing technical quality organizations.
  • Experience supporting complex product development programs from concept through production transition.
  • Strong knowledge of quality systems, engineering development processes, and aerospace manufacturing.
  • Experience leading root cause investigations and corrective action programs.
  • Experience with risk management, reliability engineering, and failure analysis.
  • Working knowledge of AS9100 quality management systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

Skills

Required:Quality leadershipRoot cause analysisRisk management

Benefits

  • Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
  • Temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Shield AI

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