Sr. Quality Assurance Manager

Coherent Aerospace & Defense Inc, Emerging Products & Technologies (EP&T) Business Unit is seeking a Sr. Quality Assurance Manager to lead quality and product assurance across the portfolio of EP&T programs and site operations. Our Quality Assurance Manager will have the responsibility to ensure product, process, and supplier requirements are met with high levels of quality, customer satisfaction, and program execution to support cost, schedule and on-time delivery.

This role involves the collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams on exciting and challenging product developments and program tasking in the areas of High Energy Lasers, gimballed assemblies, space-based optical telescopes, and active sensing. 

The Sr. Quality Assurance Manager responsibilities include:

• Responsible for site QMS i.e., Mgt. Review, Calibration, CAPA, NCR, Calibration etc.
• Material Review Board
• Corrective Action Board and provide metrics.
• Quality representation in program baseline management activities (e.g., Milestone Reviews (SRR, PDR, CDRs), CCB, peer reviews, code reviews, release planning, configuration management, CCB, test witnessing)
• Partner with suppliers to assure high quality of incoming product.
• Perform internal and supplier AS9100D audits.
• Continually improve quality program, including policies, objectives, plans, organization, procedures, and appraisals.
• Generates regular progress, summary, and management review reports including Quality Metrics
• Through knowledge of quality improvement tools, including:
  • 5 Why
  • 8 D
  • Fishbone
  • Poke-yoke
  • NPI
  • FMEA's
• Manage the Inspection and Quality Engineering team and as required perform hands-on Inspection to include receiving inspection & test, in-process inspections, final inspection & test
• Customer quality requirements have been adequately defined to permit appropriate quality planning and implementation and that these quality requirements are met or exceeded.
• Maintains relationships with Operations to assure adequate process capability, control, improvement, and quality information feedback.
• Works with Customers and Sales to ensure that customer quality requirements have been adequately defined to permit appropriate quality planning and implementation and that these requirements are met or exceeded.
• Interfaces with major customers to ensure Customer Satisfaction and clarify quality requirements through personal visits, verbal, and written communication.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in a Business Management, Quality Technology or STEM discipline and 8+ years of relevant experience, master’s degree and 5+ years of relevant experience.

Skills & Other Requirements

Citizenship required: United States Citizenship

Must have or able to obtain a DoD Secret clearance (or higher)

Preferred skills and experience:

• Experience in Optical Quality Inspection, testing and process improvements for optics, fibers, and optical system quality for the Aerospace and Defense Industry
• Experience in Optical and fiber component handling, cleaning of optical and fiber components.
• Experience with calipers, micrometers, torque wrenches, test plates, electronic gauges, light sources, interferometers, autocollimators and working with automation of test equipment.
• Previous Supply Chain and/or Supply Chain Quality operations
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor or Certified AS9100 Lead Auditor
• Experience in creating and maintaining useable, actionable metrics to drive department decisions and processes
• Analytical, decision making, and problem-solving skills

Working Conditions

Job operates in a professional office environment, manufacturing floor, and in clean room facilities

Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines

Work in a cubicle area – must be able to work in environment where employees are on the phone / speaking causing potential distractions throughout the day.

Noise level – Usually moderate for the manufacturing floor and clean room facilities

Physical Re