Head - Quality Assurance (Aerospace & Defense)

Head - Quality Assurance (Aerospace & Defense)

Location: Bengaluru
Industry: Aerospace, Defense, UAV Manufacturing
Experience: 20+ Years
Qualification: B.E./B.Tech (Aeronautical, Electrical, Electronics preferred)
Employment Type: Full Time

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Head - Quality Assurance to lead the organization's quality function across product quality, process quality, supplier quality, and design quality. The role will be responsible for driving world-class quality standards, ensuring compliance with aerospace and defense regulations, and building a zero-defect culture across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Product Quality Assurance

• Develop, review, and approve Quality Assurance Plans.
• Lead quality management activities through engineers and technicians.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product quality.
• Ensure Zero Defect supplies and improve First Pass Yield (FPY).
• Establish and implement quality SOPs, testing, and product clearance processes.
• Manage non-conformance investigations and corrective actions.
• Lead First Article Inspections (FAI) and production process verification.
• Handle customer complaints, root cause analysis, and CAPA implementation.
• Monitor and improve quality KPIs across manufacturing operations.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and audit requirements.
• Capture and institutionalize lessons learned for continuous improvement.

Design Quality Assurance

• Ensure adherence to design processes and customer requirements.
• Review design drawings and documentation for compliance with standards.
• Participate in PDR, CDR, DFMEA, and design validation activities.
• Conduct reviews on safety, reliability, maintainability, usability, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead product qualification testing such as Environmental, EMI/EMC, and MIL-standard validations.
• Drive corrective actions using quality tools such as RCA, Why-Why Analysis, Fishbone, and Pareto Analysis.
• Collaborate with customers on product demonstrations and approvals.

Quality Systems & Audits

• Ensure implementation and compliance with Quality Management Systems (QMS).
• Maintain certifications and compliance with AS9100 and ISO standards.
• Manage internal, external, and customer audits.
• Update and improve quality procedures, systems, and documentation.

Additional Responsibilities

• Manage calibration and traceability of measuring and monitoring equipment.
• Maintain records and reports for product traceability and defect investigation.
• Conduct quality awareness and training programs.
• Participate in business reviews and strategic planning sessions.
• Prepare management reports and executive presentations.
• Perform risk assessments and ensure compliance with EHS requirements.
• Ensure achievement of departmental KPIs and operational objectives.

Team Leadership

• Own and drive the quality agenda for the organization.
• Partner with leadership on critical quality decisions and customer requirements.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing quality team.

Desired Candidate Profile

Educational Qualification

Essential:

• B.E./B.Tech in Aeronautical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, or related Engineering disciplines.

Preferred:

• Postgraduate qualification in Quality Management, Operations Management, or related fields.

Experience

• 20+ years of experience in Quality Assurance within Aerospace, Defense, UAV, or Engineering Electronics manufacturing environments.
• Strong exposure to product development, manufacturing, assembly, integration, and customer delivery processes.
• Experience managing quality systems in highly regulated industries.

Technical Skills

• AS9100D, ISO9001 Quality Management Systems.
• FMEA, FAI, CAPA, 8D, Root Cause Analysis.
• Seven Quality Control (7 QC) Tools.
• Verification & Validation (V&V).
• Product Qualification and Certification standards:
• MIL-STD-810
• MIL-STD-461
• DO-160
• JSS Standards
• Internal & External Audits.
• Quality Metrics, Dashboards, and Continuous Improvement Programs.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong process orientation and quality mindset.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Effective stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and reporting skills.

Tools Knowledge

• MS Excel
• PowerPoint
• Quality Dashboards & Reporting Tools
• Documentation and Data Analysis Tools

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to shape quality excellence in a high-technology Aerospace & Defense organization.
• Work on cutting-edge UAV and advanced engineering products.
• Lead strategic quality transformation initiatives and organizational growth.