Quality Manager

This opportunity is located within our Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company business, a global leader of mission-critical hardware and systems solutions including precision energetics systems and innovative explosive solutions.Click here to learn more.

Job Description

Lead Quality. Strengthen the System. Deliver the Mission.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD) is seeking a Quality Manager for our Moorpark, CA facility. This role carries site-level responsibility for quality performance, quality systems, customer compliance, and team leadership within a complex aerospace and defense manufacturing environment.

We are looking for a hands-on quality leader who can operate at both the strategic and floor level: someone who understands AS9100, customer requirements, manufacturing quality, containment, corrective action, and the leadership discipline required to build a stronger quality culture as the business scales.

The Opportunity

EBAD is a leader in mission-critical hardware and systems supporting major aerospace, missile, defense, and space platforms. The Moorpark site is a key contributor to these programs and continues to grow in both complexity and customer importance.

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead quality for a critical aerospace and defense manufacturing site
• Strengthen quality systems, discipline, and execution in a regulated environment
• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program Management
• Drive structured problem solving, containment, corrective action, and prevention
• Build and develop a high-performing quality organization
• Improve customer confidence through credible, data-driven quality leadership
• Help scale the site’s quality capability as production demand grows

Scope of Responsibility

The Site Quality Manager will provide leadership across site quality functions, with responsibility for quality systems, manufacturing quality, customer quality, corrective action, compliance, and team development.

This leader will work closely with Operations and cross-functional partners to ensure that quality is built into daily execution, production readiness, customer commitments, and long-term operating discipline.

Key Responsibilities

Site Quality Leadership

• Lead the site quality organization with ownership for quality performance, compliance, and execution
• Establish clear expectations, priorities, accountability, and operating rhythm across the quality team
• Balance floor-level issue resolution with broader site priorities and quality system improvement
• Serve as a key partner to Operations leadership in driving Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost objectives

Quality Systems & Compliance

• Maintain and strengthen the site quality management system in alignment with AS9100, customer requirements, and applicable aerospace and defense standards
• Ensure disciplined adherence to internal procedures, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations
• Support audits, customer reviews, compliance activities, and quality system improvement initiatives
• Identify systemic risks and lead actions that improve process capability, discipline, and predictability

Manufacturing Quality & Problem Solving

• Lead containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and preventive action across manufacturing quality issues
• Drive structured problem solving using data, facts, and cross-functional engagement
• Partner with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management to resolve quality issues quickly and effectively
• Improve first-pass yield, reduce escapes, strengthen defect prevention, and support production readiness

Customer Quality & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Represent the site with credibility in customer-facing quality matters
• Lead communication and resolution for customer concerns, nonconformances, corrective actions, and quality performance issues
• Build strong working relationships across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program teams
• Influence outcomes across functions in a rapidly scaling environment where quality must be owned by the whole organization

People Leadership & Team Development

• Coach, develop, and hold the quality team accountable for performance, discipline, and continuous improvement
• Build team capability, succession depth, and engagement
• Create a culture of ownership, urgency, transparency, and continuous learning
• Develop quality leaders and individual contributors who can support increasing business complexity

Core Competencies

Hands-On Site Quality Leadership: Moves comfortably between shop-floor details and site-level priorities. Understands how to diagnose issues, set direction, and ensure follow-through in a complex manufacturing environment.

Aerospace & Defense Quality Expertise: Brings strong knowledge of AS9100, customer requirements, quality systems, compliance expectations, and regulated manufacturing discipline.

Structured Problem Solving: Uses data, root cause analysis, containment, corrective action, and prevention to drive measurable quality improvement.

Customer-Facing Credibility: Communicates clearly and confidently with customers, internal leaders, and cross-functional partners during quality issues, audits, and corrective action activity.

Team Leadership & Accountability: Builds, coaches, and develops a capable quality team. Sets high standards and creates the operating discipline required to deliver results.

Change Leadership & Influence: Leads through complexity and growth. Influences across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program Management to drive quality ownership beyond the quality function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Engineering, Quality, Operations, or related technical field preferred
• Significant quality leadership experience in manufacturing
• Aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated manufacturing experience strongly preferred
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100 and customer quality requirements
• Demonstrated experience with manufacturing quality, root cause analysis, corrective action, containment, and quality system improvement
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing quality professionals
• Ability to operate effectively at both the strategic and hands-on execution level
• Strong customer-facing communication skills and credibility
• Proven ability to influence cross-functionally across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program Management
• Experience in a rapidly scaling or complex production environment preferred

A Defining Quality Leadership Opportunity

Site-Level Ownership: Lead quality for a critical EBAD manufacturing site supporting mission-critical aerospace and defense programs.

Mission Impact: Your work will directly support products and systems tied to national defense, space, missile, and aerospace applications.

Quality System Influence: Strengthen the systems, behaviors, and operating discipline required to scale performance and improve customer confidence.

Team & Culture Building: Develop a high-performing quality team and help embed quality ownership across the site.

Growth Environment: Join a business positioned for continued growth, increasing program complexity, and meaningful operational impact.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are a proven quality leader who can build strong systems, develop people, solve complex manufacturing problems, and represent quality with credibility in a mission-critical environment, we encourage you to explore this opportunity!

The anticipated wage range for this position is $160K-$200K/year. The salary range represents the range EBAD has established in good faith for this position and may vary based on qualifications, experience, education, skills, internal equity, and business needs.

EBAD offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; retirement benefits; paid time off and holidays; life and disability insurance; employee assistance and wellness resources; and incentive compensation eligibility, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions. Benefit eligibility may vary based on position, work location, employment status, and applicable plan provisions.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.