Head of Quality

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on Head of Quality to build and lead Whisper Aero’s enterprise quality organization as we scale from rapid product development and prototype builds into certified, repeatable production. This executive leader will own the company-wide quality strategy, Quality Management System (QMS), product and manufacturing quality, supplier quality, customer quality, and regulatory compliance. The role will partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Programs, and Finance to embed quality from concept through sustainment, develop a high-performing team, and ensure that safety, reliability, speed, and cost are managed as an integrated operating system.

What You’ll Do

• Set and execute the enterprise quality vision, operating model, multi-year roadmap, and resource plan in alignment with company and product objectives.
• Serve as the senior quality authority and management representative for customers, regulators, certification bodies, and executive leadership.
• Lead, coach, and scale a multidisciplinary organization spanning product, manufacturing, supplier, systems, inspection, and customer quality.
• Establish clear decision rights, escalation mechanisms, and quality gates across development, NPI, production, delivery, and field support.
• Own the company quality management review, enterprise risk portfolio, and executive reporting cadence.

Enterprise Quality Leadership & Quality Management System

• Mature and scale the existing AS9100-certified QMS from prototype-focused processes to rate production, aligned with customer requirements and 14 CFR Part 21 quality system requirements.
• Own quality policy, objectives, management review, internal and external audits, document and records control, corrective action, configuration assurance, and organizational learning.
• Translate quality data into business decisions through leading and lagging indicators, including first-pass yield, defect and escape rates, cost of poor quality, supplier performance, CAPA effectiveness, and process capability.

Product, Manufacturing & Operational Quality

• Embed quality planning in product architecture and design reviews through requirements flow-down, DFMEA, verification and validation, configuration control, and design-for-manufacturability.
• Lead quality execution from prototype and NPI through production readiness, rate ramp, customer delivery, and sustainment.
• Establish APQP-based mechanisms including process flows, PFMEAs, control plans, Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), SPC, process qualification and validation, inspection and test strategies, FAI/PPAP, and acceptance criteria.
• Own MRB governance, containment, root-cause and corrective action, deviation and nonconformance control, and recurrence prevention without compromising safety or compliance.
• Partner with Operations to improve yield, reliability, traceability, automation, and process capability while scaling production responsibly.

Supplier & Customer Quality

• Establish supplier quality strategy, requirements, selection criteria, qualification, surveillance, development, and performance management across the supply base.
• Lead supplier audits, source and receiving inspection strategy, FAI/PPAP, process capability reviews, SCARs, and recovery plans for critical suppliers.
• Represent Quality in customer reviews, contract and requirement flow-down, acceptance, investigations, corrective actions, and delivery readiness.
• Create closed-loop mechanisms that translate supplier, factory, test, and field signals into preventive action and product improvement.

Regulatory, Certification & Risk Governance

• Own readiness for AS9100D certification and compliance with applicable FAA, customer, contractual, and export-controlled aerospace and defense requirements.
• Lead quality engagement with the FAA, customers, registrars, and third-party auditors, including findings, corrective actions, and sustained effectiveness.
• Establish enterprise product and process risk governance, independent escalation, stop-work authority, and transparent executive communication for significant quality or safety issues.
• Ensure effective supplier control, configuration and document control, records management, calibration, traceability, nonconformance handling, and production acceptance.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive quality, manufacturing, product, or supplier quality experience in aerospace, defense, aviation, automotive, medical device, or another complex regulated hardware environment.
• 5+ years leading managers and multidisciplinary quality teams, including organizational design, hiring, coaching, budgeting, and resource planning.
• Demonstrated ownership of an AS9100D- or ISO 9001-based QMS and successful leadership of certification, customer, or regulatory audits.
• Proven experience scaling hardware from development and NPI through stable production, using APQP, FMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, PPAP/FAI, RCCA/CAPA, and MRB.
• Executive-level communication, sound risk judgment, and a record of influencing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Programs, and senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with FAA production approval and 14 CFR Part 21 quality system requirements.
• Experience building a quality organization and digital QMS in a fast-growing, vertically integrated technology or aerospace startup.
• Experience with high-rate or automated production of complex electromechanical, propulsion, aerospace, or safety-critical products.
• ASQ CQE, CMQ/OE, CSQP, AS9100 Lead Auditor, or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or Business Administration.
• Strong command of ERP, PLM, MES, eQMS, business intelligence, and statistical analysis tools.