Director, Quality

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

Location: Simsbury, CT

Reports to: VP of Operations

Industry: Aerospace & Defense

Experience Level: Director (15+ years)

Shape the Future. Deliver Excellence. Achieve Zero Failure.

At Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD), we’ve been innovating for nearly 200 years, delivering mission-critical technologies that protect lives and advance exploration. As we prepare to double in size over the next 3–5 years, we’re investing in our people and culture to support this transformation.

We’re seeking a dynamic Director of Quality to lead a complex, multi-site quality organization and drive performance at scale. Based at our headquarters in Simsbury, Connecticut, this role is critical to ensure the highest levels of product integrity, compliance, and customer trust across a rapidly growing business. This is not just about maintaining standards but about building a future-state vision for quality that enables growth, safeguards mission success, and strengthens EBAD’s reputation as a trusted partner.

The Opportunity:

EBAD’s customers depend on us to deliver our products with zero failure in mission-critical environments. The Director of Quality will be responsible for developing and executing a strategic Quality Management System (QMS) while leading quality operations across multiple sites. This leader will be tasked with driving measurable quality improvement, while also championing a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity for a leader to make an immediate impact by providing direction, driving the strategy for the business, and developing a problem-solving culture.

Core Competencies for Success:

• Quality & Compliance Leadership: Proven success leading complex, multi-site quality organizations in aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability industries, with expertise in zero-failure mission environments.

• Continuous Improvement & Performance: Skilled in EBOS, Lean, and Kaizen practices with the ability to drive metrics-based improvement and systemic problem-solving.
• Team Development & Leadership: Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and build strong teams while fostering engagement and accountability.
• Collaboration & Influence: Strong cross-functional partnership with credibility to influence senior leadership, customers, and suppliers.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Able to manage ambiguity, drive change, and motivate teams in a fast-scaling environment.

The Candidate We Are Looking For:

• BS in an engineering discipline (MS preferred)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in high-mix, low-volume operations and manufacturing environment
• Proven success leading complex, multi-site quality organizations in aerospace, defense, or other mission-critical industries
• Demonstrated expertise in leading audits and managing compliance across regulatory bodies, customers, and suppliers, with deep knowledge of standards such as AS9100, ISO9001, and DoD requirements
• Proven ability to enhance customer quality by partnering closely with engineering, operations, and supply chain teams to consistently meet customer demand
• Strong record of measurable quality improvements
• Skilled in continuous improvement, performance metrics, and problem-solving through EBOS, Lean, and Kaizen practices
• Track record of building and developing strong teams, fostering high engagement, and driving accountability

A Defining Leadership Opportunity:

• Legacy: Join a privately held, 188-year-old business that takes a long-term approach, free from the short-term pressures of quarterly-driven reporting.
• Impact: Lead a mission-critical function where zero failure is the standard and success is business-defining.
• Partnership: Work directly with the BU President, senior leadership, and enterprise HR leaders in a highly influential role at the intersection of people and business strategy.
• Culture of Excellence: Help shape a culture that values people, integrity, and mission-driven excellence, driven by a Kaiz