Optical Systems Quality Manager

Job Description
What’s it like realizing your potential at an innovative company that takes on some of the world’s most important challenges? Rewarding. As part of our Countermeasures and Electromagnetic Attack Solutions (CEMA) Quality Organization, you’ll join a diverse group of driven professionals who design the products and systems that support enhanced military capabilities, protect national security, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure. With us, you’ll be able to make an impact while you hone your skills and grow in your career.

BAE Systems is looking for the Advanced Optical Systems (AOS) Quality Manager to join our team supporting major development programs at the Ground Level in Manchester, NH.
If you’re a Strategic and Inspirational Leader with Strong Development and Production experience that you’re ready to apply both lessons learned and best practices to electronic, mechanical and optical assemblies then this is your opportunity.

The successful candidate will serve as an assurance partner with engineering by leading the team to influence and provide technical guidance on design quality assurance and design for manufacturability. An APQP Champion that executes early engagement in the design and development phase and promotes engineering best practices to identify and eliminate defects early in the product lifecycle. This person will ensure product designs meet customer, quality, and reliability requirements and align to factory and supplier capabilities. This is an exciting opportunity to organizationally and culturally shape this scaling AOS Portfolio as product matures from development through production and eventually sustainment.

The AOS Quality Manager will drive collaboration across all aspects of the Quality function, including Quality roles such as Program, Supplier, Design Hardware and Design Software. In this role, you will work closely with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Contracts and Customers to provide proactive, value-added solutions to the program including Cost Account Management, Risk and Opportunity, Life Cycle Management including Customer/Contract requirements management to provide world class program execution.

This role will also be responsible to drive permanent mistake proofed corrective actions using quality science tools via 8D methodology. The AOS Quality Manager will help integrate Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) / AS9145 for key products utilizing FMEA, Control Plans, Capability Studies, and MSA. They will accomplish First Article Inspection, Transition to Production, non-conformance tracking, data trending and analysis to drive Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) and Continuous Improvement initiatives throughout the value stream.

As the AOS Portfolio operates largely in a closed area environment the expectation of this role is predominantly on-site.

BAE Systems puts our customers first – exemplified by our missions: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®” and “We Innovate for Those Who Move the World(tm). Come join our team!

Key Responsibilities:

• Vision: Provide a clear Quality Vision to the AOS Portfolio that will enable effectiveness and success.

• Collaborate as a member of the Program Management Office with program leadership for planning, execution, and management of critical program activities.

• Quality Planning & Execution: Contribute to design quality assurance project bid estimates and tailor against contract requirements to develop and execute the quality assurance plan.

• Requirements Validation: Ensure internal and external product requirements are understood, validated, and properly traced to design, implementation, and testing and support qualification testing inclusive of system test set-up conformity, test monitoring, and review of qualification test reports and failure investigation reports.

• Test Solution Design and Validation: Ensure test strategies/solutions are properly designed to qualify products and factory acceptance tests meet the customer intent.

• Design Reviews: Participate in and influence outcome of design reviews and provide constructive design related feedback on engineering documentation including engineering models, test plans, and other development artifacts.

• Change Control: Ensure proper implementation and validation of design changes.

• APQP/AS9145: Support Advance Product Quality Planning (APQP) activities such as Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA) activities and Key Characteristic (KC) identification.

• Design Optimization: Ensure that system design guidelines, process and factory capabilities, and best practices such as Design for Manufacturability (DFM) are utilized.

• Risk & Opportunity and Supply Chain Support: Accountable for Quality’s input to technical risk and opportunity management and to part and supplier selection to ensure that they meet design, manufacturability, and quality requirements.

• Design Process Compliance and Continuous Improvement: Ensure compliance to design processes, collect and analyze design quality metrics, and cross-pollinate system design best practices across programs to facilitate a culture of continuous improvement.

• Mentorship: Mentor team members in design quality assurance. Coach, Mentor and Develop a team of Quality Engineers and establish Individual Development Plans for their career growth.

• Measures: Ensure alignment with quality policy, strategic objectives and organization goals that drive to Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) reduction and Continuous Improvement.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• A Bachelor Science Degree in a technical field of study and 10+ years related work experienc
• Capable of obtaining a U.S. Department of War (DoW) Secret security clearance with ability to obtain special access clearances.
• Strong and Demonstrated Communication Skills (written, verbal, visual) and interpersonal skills (listening and communicating within a group/team)
• Ability to influence without authority
• Strong problem solving and risk management skills leveraged to ensure that solutions meet the needs of the business and warfighter
• Experience in development life cycle including requirements capture and verification, design and development, and system level integration and testing including understanding the purpose of tests and method to validate
• Direct experience in manufacturing
• Ability to read and understand engineering drawings
• Strong understanding of Quality Science tools (APQP/PPAP, 8D RCCA, Statistical Process Controls, Lean Six Sigma, Auditing) along with relevant industry standards (AS9100, AS9102 and AS9145).
• Direct Leadership experience
• Design review experience
• Strong business acumen and risk management skills leveraged to ensure that solutions meet the needs of the business and warfighter

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Bachelor’s Science degree in Engineering
• Experience in model-based engineering including proficiency in 3D CAD solid modeling software package (SolidWorks and/or UG NX preferred)
• Proficient in requirement management tools
• Knowledge of military aerospace testing standards
• Expert with AS9145 APQP (DFMEA, PFMEA, and Control Plan development).
• Experience with JIRA or equivalent workflow management
• Experience in aerospace and defense, automotive, or medical industry
• Experience with Electronics and Optics

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $153377 - $260743

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, Inc.
BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.

Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.