Head of Qualification
Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX$150k - $220kFull-timePosted 3mo ago
About the role
Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. The Head of Qualification owns and scales the end-to-end qualification pipeline for parts across defense programs, turning legacy data into production-ready manufacturing data and source-approved parts, with full visibility and high data confidence.
Responsibilities
- Own Hadrian's end-to-end qualification function — from part intake through technical data evaluation, gap resolution, qualification data package assembly, first article verification, and source approval — in alignment with customer requirements
- Define and maintain qualification scope, and own the qualification pipeline and its workflow automation
- Lead the technical core: direct Product Qualification Managers (PQMs) and Manufacturing/Quality Engineers performing technical data evaluation and qualification data package generation, producing production-ready design data sets and TDPs
- Own qualification performance and reporting — tracking metrics such as time-to-qualification, parts in pipeline, parts qualified, and parts overseen per PQM — and serve as Hadrian's qualification interface to the customer, running part prioritization jointly
- Partner closely with reverse engineering, manufacturing engineering, and quality to ensure qualification outputs translate into producible, source-approved parts, while hiring, developing, and scaling a high-performing qualification organization
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering or a related technical field
- 8+ years of experience in qualification, quality, manufacturing engineering, or related leadership roles
- Detailed knowledge of part/product qualification, first article verification, technical data packages (TDPs), and source approval
- Aviation component qualification is a plus
- Ability to interpret and apply complex regulatory and customer requirements
- Ability to build, scale, or significantly improve systems, processes, or organizations in complex, ambiguous environments
- Strong decision-making in ambiguous, high-risk, customer-facing situations
- Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership across engineering, operations, and government customers
Skills
Required:Qualification managementTechnical data evaluationLeadership and people management
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
- 401k
- Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need
- Flexible vacation policy
- Equity
Last updated Sep 30, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Hadrian Automation
Manufacturing the Future
Hadrian is building the planet's most efficient factories to accelerate a free, abundant, spacefaring future.
ManufacturingFactories
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