Quality Manager I

Job Description
How does it feel to work on a driven team of game changers? Inspiring. At BAE Systems, we take pride in delivering dependable products that gains trust from our customers. Our employees make that happen. Our Quality teams are the best at what they do and help us ensure the integrity and reliability of some of our most important products. Right now, we are looking for a Quality Manager who's ready to advance their career and lead a team of passionate employees at our Aiken, South Carolina facility.

As Quality Manager, your primary focus will be supporting the first shift. However, you will provide additional support to the second and third shifts as needed. Standard working hours are 6:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

As a Quality Manager, you will support the following endeavors:
• Engineering Leadership: Direct and mentor a team of Quality Engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, rigorous problem-solving, and professional accountability.
• QMS Governance: Serve as the primary authority for ISO 9001 compliance, ensuring the Quality Management System (QMS) is robust, scalable, and audit-ready.
• Technical Liaison: Act as the strategic point of contact for internal and external customers, resolving complex engineering quality escalations and product integrity issues.
• Operational Strategy: Drive the reduction of the Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) by implementing advanced quality engineering methodologies while championing a "Safety First" culture.
• Systems Innovation: Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to modernize the QMS, integrating industry-leading best practices to enhance systemic effectiveness.
• Risk Architecture: Lead the strategy to eliminate quality escapement risks by advancing predictive analytical capabilities and modernizing inspection technologies.
• Talent Pipeline: Oversee the professional development of the engineering staff, performing technical skill-gap analyses and implementing advanced training frameworks.
• Data Synthesis: Transform complex engineering metrics into actionable executive insights, providing strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lean Engineering: Architect and lead high-impact A3 projects and Kaizen events to optimize engineering workflows and production efficiency.
• Protocol Development: Design, implement, and evolve advanced quality evaluation control systems and technical protocols to safeguard product integrity.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• Typically a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field with six years of progressive experience in Quality Assurance or Quality Control, or the overall equivalent.
• Leadership Pedigree: Proven track record of supervisory or leadership experience, with a demonstrated ability to manage and develop a team of technical professionals.
• Regulatory Expertise: Deep operational expertise within the ISO 9001 standard, with a history of maintaining compliance and driving audit success.
• Advanced Problem Solving: Mastery of analytical methodologies and structured problem-solving techniques, including A3, DMAIC, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Communication Excellence: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and present complex technical data to executive leadership.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience leveraging enterprise database applications for data-driven decision-making.
• Strategic Planning: Demonstrated experience architecting short- and long-term organizational strategies, integrating Six Sigma, Agile, and Lean methodologies to drive operational maturity.
• Project Governance: Proven experience leading high-visibility, cross-functional improvement projects that deliver measurable impact across all levels of the organization.
• Talent Development: Ability to serve as a coach and mentor, utilizing a collaborative approach to elevate the technical and professional capabilities of the engineering team.
• Flexibility: Candidates with varying levels of experience may be considered for a commensurate role (Junior or Senior Manager) based on depth of expertise.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• ASQ Certification (CQE, CQA, or CMQ/OE).
• Extensive experience supporting quality operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing quality programs for government contracts, specifically within the DoW sector.
• Formal training in advanced statistics and statistical process control.
• Formal certification or training in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodologies.
• Experience implementing APQP in low-rate, technically complex production environments.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $92180 - $156707

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.

About BAE Systems Platforms & Services
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it's what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts - defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team-making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you'll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

The Platforms & Services (P&S) sector under BAE Systems, Inc does the big stuff: the armored combat vehicles, naval guns, missile launchers, and ship repair...just to name a few. Our employees take pride in the work they do and why they do it. They are on the front lines every day, building our products to protect the lives of those who serve. We may be biased, but we think P&S does some of the coolest work around, and we think you will too.