The client is seeking an onsite Director of Quality Engineering for a full-time, permanent position based in Washington, DC, with a first-shift Monday–Friday schedule. The role requires eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance. This director-level position will lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the organization’s Quality Management System (QMS).
Key responsibilities include establishing quality processes, procedures, work instructions, and standards across manufacturing, engineering, and operations; driving Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and related quality best practices; and managing and mentoring quality engineering and quality control personnel to promote proactive quality ownership. The director will partner with project, engineering, and operational teams to ensure quality requirements are understood, implemented, and maintained, and will conduct quality audits and assessments to evaluate process maturity, compliance, and effectiveness.
The director will lead quality initiatives and continuous improvement programs, review engineering deliverables for compliance with quality requirements, and manage discrepancy notices, corrective action reports, CAPA programs, and root cause investigations. The role also involves coordinating third-party audits, inspections, and testing activities; participating in operational review meetings to identify and resolve quality risks and issues; assessing project performance against quality objectives; and overseeing quality policies, procedures, standards, and work instructions, including compliance and external audit readiness related to quality and process certifications. Required qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical discipline and 16+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing, engineering, and quality, with strong knowledge of QMS practices such as ISO 9001:2015, APQP, Lean, Six Sigma, and CAPA, as well as demonstrated audit and documentation review capabilities. Additional experience may include familiarity with construction, industrial, aerospace/defense, infrastructure, or mission-critical environments, and professional certifications or related compliance program experience may be considered.