Sr. Quality Manager, Assurance & Regulatory Compliance

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Sr. Quality Manager, Assurance & Regulatory Compliance based in the United States.

The Sr. Quality Manager, Assurance & Regulatory Compliance will lead enterprise-wide quality assurance and regulatory compliance initiatives across a global aerospace manufacturing and maintenance environment. This senior role is responsible for strengthening Quality Management System effectiveness, harmonizing audit practices, and ensuring consistent compliance with industry standards and aviation regulations. You will provide independent oversight of quality risks, certification readiness, and corrective-action effectiveness across multiple sites. Working closely with site Quality leaders, Operations, Engineering, and functional teams, you will turn audit findings and regulatory developments into sustainable improvements. You will also develop a strong internal auditor community and provide evidence-based recommendations to executive leadership. This remote U.S.-based opportunity combines strategic influence, cross-functional collaboration, and approximately 20–30% domestic and international travel.

Accountabilities:

The Sr. Quality Manager will oversee the enterprise assurance program, establish consistent audit and compliance standards, and ensure systemic risks are identified, escalated, and effectively addressed across the global organization.

• Lead risk-based internal audit planning, methodology development, auditor qualification and calibration, reporting, and assessments of Quality Management System effectiveness across multiple sites.
• Establish enterprise regulatory compliance requirements and harmonize common controls, documentation, and implementation practices while respecting site-specific certifications, approvals, procedures, and operating scopes.
• Maintain consistent standards for audit planning, execution, reporting, corrective-action follow-up, and verification of effectiveness.
• Monitor site compliance performance, audit trends, certification status, significant findings, and systemic risk indicators; provide clear reporting, recommendations, and escalations to executive leadership.
• Provide enterprise oversight of AS9100, AS9110, Nadcap, customer-specific requirements, and applicable regulatory obligations.
• Monitor relevant regulatory and industry developments and coordinate their integration into the Quality Management System.
• Support governance of aviation-authority approvals, certificates, capability limitations, and related compliance controls.
• Lead certification and regulatory audit readiness activities and coordinate responses to significant customer, certification-body, aviation-authority, and Nadcap audits.
• Independently review significant quality findings, product escapes, and compliance events, ensuring appropriate containment, product-impact assessments, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and effectiveness verification.
• Identify and escalate systemic Quality and regulatory risks directly to the Global VP of Quality, ensuring mitigation plans have clear ownership, deadlines, and verification measures.
• Partner with QMS and Process Excellence, Supplier Quality, site Quality Managers, and Operations leaders to translate audit results, regulatory changes, and lessons learned into practical enterprise improvements.
• Develop and maintain a qualified internal auditor community, providing coaching, calibration, and professional development to strengthen audit consistency and process-based assessment capabilities.
• Build effective relationships with Site Quality Managers and Site General Managers while respecting local ownership of daily Quality execution, resources, and performance.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed, with anticipated travel of approximately 20–30%.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate brings extensive Quality and regulatory experience in aerospace manufacturing or maintenance, a strong understanding of industry certification standards, and the ability to influence leaders and drive improvements across a complex, multi-site organization.

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in Quality, regulatory compliance, manufacturing, or engineering within a complex aerospace manufacturing or maintenance environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading internal audit programs, certification readiness, regulatory compliance, or Quality-system assurance across multiple sites, functions, or business units.
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100 and/or AS9110, aerospace Quality Management System principles, and customer-specific requirements.
• Familiarity with AS13100 is preferred.
• Significant experience with Nadcap requirements, audit preparation, responses to findings, corrective-action effectiveness, and special-process compliance is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of applicable aviation-authority requirements, with FAA regulatory familiarity strongly preferred and knowledge of EASA, UK CAA, or other international authorities considered an advantage.
• Thorough understanding of risk-based and process-based auditing, root-cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), nonconformance control, management review, risk management, and regulatory-change management.
• Ability to independently assess compliance and process effectiveness, identify systemic risks, and present clear, evidence-based recommendations to senior leadership.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority, lead cross-functional corrective actions, and build alignment across Quality, Operations, Engineering, and other business functions.
• Strong analytical, project-management, communication, and presentation skills, including the ability to translate complex regulatory and Quality requirements into actionable guidance.
• Experience collaborating across cultures, time zones, and changing priorities in a global organization.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; familiarity with QMS software, audit-management platforms, ERP/MES systems, and business-intelligence tools is preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Aviation, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant technical experience may be considered.
• Lead Auditor certification in AS9100 and/or AS9110 is strongly preferred.
• Additional professional auditing credentials, such as ASQ Certified Quality Auditor, are preferred.

Benefits:

• Salary: $125,000–$194,000 per year. Placement within the range depends on education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, and organizational needs.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions for eligible medical plan participants.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Paid vacation and holidays.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Wellness programs and work-life support resources.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Employee discounts.
• Voluntary accident and critical illness coverage.
• Pet insurance.