Head of Quality Assurance

External Job Description

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for Quality Assurance & Quality Control across the full manufacturing lifecycle, ensuring regulatory, contractual and customer compliance
• Establish, govern and continuously improve the enterprise acQuality Management System (QMS), including procedures, control plans, traceability and calibration governance
• Own non‑conformance and CAPA governance (NCR/MRB), ensuring fast containment, robust RCA (8D) and prevention of recurrence
• Lead quality readiness for industrialization and ramp‑up, including validation support, inspection/control plan readiness and change impact management (ECR/ECN)
• Define and drive supplier quality strategy with Supply Chain (qualification, audits, surveillance, scorecards and escalation)
• Define and govern quality KPIs and risk indicators (FPY, escapes, NCR aging), driving cross‑functional actions and executive reports
• Lead customer, regulatory and third‑party audits, acting as final quality authority where required to protect compliance and delivery
• Champion quality culture, capability development and competency governance across Manufacturing, Engineering and Supply Chain
• Serve as Sr. Q&A advisor to executive leadership, supporting risk-based decision making and governance in mission‑critical programs

Requirements

• 10+ years in quality leadership roles within defense, aerospace or other high‑reliability manufacturing environments
• Proven experience establishing and governing enterprise‑level QMS (EN/AS 9100 family, ISO 9001) in regulated production settings
• Track record of quality governance across industrialization, ramp‑up, serial production, system integration and customer acceptance
• Experience leading supplier quality strategy and defense supply chain oversight, including audits, risk classification and escalation
• Executive‑level experience managing non‑conformance, CAPA governance, regulatory compliance and customer audit engagement
• Ability to operate as trusted advisor to senior leadership, customers and regulators in complex, mission‑critical programs
• Experience in the UAE or Middle East defense/aerospace environments is highly valued