Quality Director

Job Description – Director of Quality

Department: Quality Assurance
Position Title: Director of Quality
Reports To: COO or VPO
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Recommended Compensation: $145,000–$165,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Location: Miamisburg, Ohio
Industry: Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

Position Summary

The Director of Quality is responsible for providing strategic leadership, oversight, and direction for all quality assurance, quality control, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement activities within Hawthorn Aero.

This position is accountable for maintaining and advancing the company's AS9100-certified Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring product conformity, strengthening manufacturing processes, and fostering a culture of quality, accountability, and operational excellence.

The Director of Quality serves as the company's senior quality authority and primary representative for customer quality requirements, certification audits, supplier quality, and quality-related regulatory matters.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on, results-driven leader with extensive aerospace manufacturing experience, strong technical expertise, and the ability to balance rigorous compliance requirements with production efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Quality Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Develop and execute the company's overall quality strategy aligned with organizational objectives, customer requirements, and business growth.
• Provide leadership and direction to quality engineers, inspectors, technicians, and other quality personnel.
• Establish departmental objectives, performance expectations, accountability measures, and improvement initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership regarding quality risks, operational performance, and organizational improvements.
• Promote a company-wide culture of quality ownership, proactive problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and manage the Quality Department budget, staffing plans, resources, and capital equipment requirements.
• Ensure the Quality Department effectively supports production schedules without compromising product conformity or regulatory compliance.

2. AS9100 Quality Management System Oversight

• Maintain and continually improve the company's AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, applicable ISO 9001 requirements, customer-specific quality requirements, and relevant regulatory obligations.
• Oversee internal audits, external certification audits, surveillance audits, and customer quality assessments.
• Lead management reviews, quality objective monitoring, risk assessments, and corrective action activities.

3. Manufacturing Quality & Product Conformity

• Establish and maintain effective inspection processes, acceptance standards, and quality control plans.
• Oversee First Article Inspection (FAI) activities in accordance with applicable AS9102 requirements.
• Ensure appropriate control of inspection equipment, calibration systems, and measurement traceability.
• Oversee material review and disposition processes within established customer and organizational authority.
• Maintain effective controls for nonconforming material, rework, scrap, concessions, and product release.

4. Aerospace Composite Manufacturing Quality

• Oversee quality requirements specific to composite material manufacturing, processing, fabrication, and assembly.
• Ensure appropriate controls for raw materials, shelf life, storage conditions, handling, and traceability.
• Monitor quality requirements associated with layup, curing, bonding, trimming, machining, and composite assembly processes, as applicable.

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5. Customer Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as the primary escalation point for customer quality concerns, complaints, and corrective action requests.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with customer quality representatives, auditors, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Support compliance with applicable FAA, Department of Defense, and other contractual or regulatory quality requirements.
• Represent Hawthorn Aero during customer quality reviews, audits, and technical discussions.

6. Supplier Quality Management

• Establish and oversee supplier quality standards, approval processes, monitoring, and performance evaluation.
• Ensure purchased materials, products, and outsourced processes meet applicable quality and contractual requirements.
• Partner with Supply Chain to address supplier nonconformances, delivery-related quality risks, and corrective actions.
• Monitor supplier quality metrics and implement improvement initiatives.
• Ensure applicable requirements are flowed down to suppliers and subcontractors.

7. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Lead quality improvement initiatives focused on reducing defects, scrap, rework, customer complaints, and cost of poor quality.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone Analysis, FMEA, and corrective action effectiveness verification.
• Use quality data and trend analysis to identify emerging risks and prioritize improvement opportunities.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a closely related field; equivalent directly relevant experience may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of progressive quality assurance or quality management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 7 years of quality leadership experience, preferably within aerospace or defense manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience managing an AS9100-certified Quality Management System.
• Experience leading internal, customer, and third-party certification audits.
• Strong knowledge of aerospace manufacturing quality requirements, inspection methods, and product conformity standards.
• Demonstrated experience leading corrective action investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

• Comprehensive working knowledge of AS9100 and ISO 9001.
• Working knowledge of AS9102 First Article Inspection requirements.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, engineering drawings, specifications, and inspection techniques.
• Experience with root cause analysis, CAPA, 8D, FMEA, and risk-based quality management.
• Understanding of material traceability, configuration management, and document control.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, electronic QMS platforms, Microsoft Office, and quality reporting tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace composite manufacturing.
• ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).
• AS9100 lead auditor training or certification.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience with NADCAP-accredited or customer-approved special processes.
• Familiarity with FAA, defense contracting, and applicable aerospace customer requirements.

Working Conditions

• Primarily performed in an aerospace manufacturing and office environment.
• Requires regular presence on the manufacturing floor.
• May require occasional travel to customer facilities, supplier locations, and industry meetings.
• Must comply with all company safety, security, confidentiality, and controlled-information requirements.
• Must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Hawthorn Aero is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides employment opportunities without regard to legally protected characteristics, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications. Responsibilities may be modified based on business needs, applicable requirements, and organizational priorities.

Pay: $145,000.00 - $165,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person