Quality Assurance Manager

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

About the Role

Quality Assurance owns the processes and tools by which Firefly identifies, contains, eliminates, and prevents non-conformances. Quality is charged with defining and maintaining the processes and tools which prove product capabilities meet requirements and result in a predictably economical and reliable product.

The Firefly Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for the development and maintenance of processes, equipment, and plans for inspection and acceptance of qualification and flight hardware and software products. They are responsible for implementing the Quality Management System, Quality Metrics, Analysis and Improvement Plans, and Non-conformance Management. They drive containment, root cause analysis, and corrective actions - in addition to periodic auditing - to ensure products are reliable and economical. Verifying that all key performance and design characteristics are met prior to launch, Quality Assurance Managers play a critical role in ensuring mission success. This position is located at our Production and Test facility north of Cedar Park in Briggs, TX.

What You’ll Do

• Establish and lead a team of Quality Engineers, Specialists, and Inspectors in developing and implementing reliability strategies across the entire product lifecycle, from design to manufacturing, assembly, and deployment for launch vehicle/spacecraft components and sub-assemblies (mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic).
• Manage the implementation of the AS9100 certified Quality Management System processes across multiple work centers.
• Establish quality assurance standards for launch vehicles and spacecraft systems, making change to ensure compliance with standards and requirements for mission success.
• Identify and monitor key metrics which drive the quality of products and processes, make data-driven decisions to continually improve reliability.
• Manage partnerships with design engineering and manufacturing teams through product development and production to oversee the creation of quality plans for flight products, including: identification of key characteristics, development testing for functionality and manufacturability, first article and detailed inspection planning, and consideration of criticality, risk, past failures, and lessons learned.
• Oversee the implementation of quality control inspection and testing equipment, training, and standard work instructions which assure adherence to design, specification, and testing requirements.
• Engage with multiple work centers to improve the effectiveness of the Quality Management System.
• Demonstrate a first principles approach to quality challenges, focusing on simplification and optimization to increase process and product reliability.
• Pursue automation efforts to reduce inspection and test variability.
• Lead Quality Inspectors in workflow priority, inspection process efficiency, and best practice inspection methodologies.
• Identify and investigate systemic root causes leading to non-conformances affecting product reliability and production efficiency across multiple work centers.
• Lead with cross-functional teams to contain, mitigate and resolve complex non-conformance or quality issues, including development and implementation of robust corrective actions to prevent reoccurrences.
• Oversee tool control and calibration processes across the company - including validation of metrology systems.
• Plan and perform periodic product and process audits to ensure compliance with Firefly Quality Management System.
• Review designs and procedures, providing feedback to identify potential issues early to mitigate manufacturability, inspection, and validation challenges.
• Oversee research and interpretation of regulations and requirements to ensure compliance with external standards.
• Establish goals with progression plans and conduct training sessions to improve skills within the team, providing positive and constructive feedback.
• Manage the performance, schedules, and timecards of individual contributors.
• Initiate and oversee execution plans to systematically standardize and improve product quality, reliability, and inspection efficiency.
• Lead 6S workplace organization & follow the Lean initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry).
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role (student project team or internship experience qualifies).
• 3+ years of experience leading a team or technical project, serving as a leadership focal point and decision-maker.
• Significant exposure to a wide variety of fabrication, integration, and testing methodologies.
• Experience in a high-risk/high-complexity production background (e.g. automotive, commercial aviation, aerospace, medical devices, or consumer electronics).
• Demonstrated ability to read technical information, interpret technical requirements, and understand: technical drawings, specifications, GD&T, and related quality control documentation and standards.
• Experience with standards and/or equivalent quality, military, or government standards in the aerospace industry.
• Demonstrated experience with application of aerospace quality standards, such as AS9100 or ISO 9001.
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and written.
• Flexibility regarding workflow and process.
• Excellent organization skills. Willingness to work with a team, share expertise, and follow instructions to accomplish established goals.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering or related discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry).
• 10+ years of hands-on experience with demonstrated examples continuous improvement focus to advance product or process reliability.
• 5+ years of experience in a leadership position with direct reports.
• A proven track record of leadership and team building within a rapidly changing environment.
• Demonstrated experience applying quality assurance principles, methods, and processes - including inspection techniques, equipment, and tools used in quality control.
• Comprehensive understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, materials, and specifications.
• Demonstrated competency in structures/composites, electrical/avionics, and fluids/propulsion disciplines.
• Full capability to read and understand blueprints, drawings GD&T, and Model-Based Definitions.
• Knowledge of ERP to help mold common company tools to best meet quality’s needs in a nearly autonomous/invisible approach.
• Experience evolving a company’s quality systems, without losing the ability to tailor processes to support a range of hardware maturity states.
• Demonstrated experience using quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem-solving approaches
• ASQ CQE

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.