Job Description
How does it feel to work on a team driven to make a big impact? Empowering.
Do you have a passion for precision in the face of complexity? Join BAE Systems in a pivotal leadership role supporting the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program. We are seeking a Quality Manager to lead a team of Production Quality Engineers and Technologists. In this role, you will not just oversee processes; you will be empowered to grow the quality framework for a tracked military vehicle program, ensuring that every unit delivered meets the rigorous standards required for the modern battlefield.
As the Assembly+ Quality Manager, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Quality organization within the Assembly, Garage, and Final production phases. You will lead a multidisciplinary team of 8–10 salaried engineers and technologists to develop, implement, and maintain robust quality evaluation and control systems within a LEAN manufacturing environment. Your primary objective is to ensure total requirement compliance from initial assembly through to vehicle sale and subsequent deprocessing. You will serve as the primary quality liaison between Production Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, and Program Management, ensuring that "Quality at the Source" is not just a goal, but an operational reality.
In your role as Quality Manager, you will be responsible for the following:
Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Direct Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Quality Engineers and Technologists, balancing workload distribution with professional growth.
- Workforce Integration: Effectively manage the interface between salaried support staff and the shop-floor workforce (both union and non-union), fostering a culture of mutual accountability.
- Resource Planning: Manage personnel schedules, time-tracking, and capacity planning to ensure quality coverage aligns with production surges.
Operational Excellence & Quality Governance
- Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify production risks and lead the implementation of containment and control measures to prevent quality escapes.
- RCCA Ownership: Act with authority on Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations, ensuring that solutions are permanent and validated.
- Process Architecture: Drive the evolution of process documentation and controls, transitioning the program from "current state" to an optimized, high-maturity Full Rate Production quality model.
- Metrics & Reporting: Establish and report critical Quality KPIs to senior leadership, translating raw production data into actionable business intelligence.
External Engagement & Compliance
- Customer Interface: Serve as the point of contact for the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and US Government representatives during program oversight and vehicle acceptance.
- Regulatory Stewardship: Ensure all activities comply with DoD government contracting requirements and internal BAE Systems governance.
- Process Discipline: Ensure defect escapes are driven back to their point of origin and addressed through a Plan-Do-Check-Act style of issue management.
Typical Education and Experience
Typically a Bachelor's Degree and 8 years work experience or equivalent experience
Required Skills and Education
- Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and eight years of related Manufacturing / Quality experience; OR an Associate’s degree and 10+ years of experience; OR the overall equivalent professional experience in a heavy industrial environment.
- Proven experience in a low-rate, technically complex production environment (preferably DoW / Military vehicles).
- Demonstrated experience managing professional engineering staff and technical specialists.
- Proficiency in Oracle, TIPQA, EPDM, Creo View, and the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE).
- Knowledge of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), Root Cause Analysis, and LEAN manufacturing principles.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, military standards, technical specifications.
- Past exposure to the FAR and DCMA contracting requirements.
- Strong ability to "package" complex technical data into concise briefings for executive leadership and government customers.
- Ability to use a methodical approach to resolving systemic production issues while maintaining schedule adherence.
- Able to support travel up to 5%.
Preferred Skills and Education
- Professional Quality Certifications (e.g., ASQ CMQ/OE, CQE).
- Formal certification in Root Cause Analysis (e.g., Six Sigma Green/Black Belt).
- Direct experience managing quality for tracked vehicle platforms or heavy armored systems.
About BAE Systems, Inc.
BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.