Director Quality Engineering

The Quality Director is responsible for leading the quality strategy and execution across the site, ensuring compliance with aerospace standards, customer requirements, and internal quality objectives. This role drives a culture of continuous improvement, zero defects, and operational excellence, while fostering collaboration across engineering, operations, and supply chain teams. The Quality Director reports directly to the Site Director. We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Quality Director to join our team at GKN Aerospace, a growing aerospace and defense manufacturing company in Garden Grove, CA. The ideal candidate will ensure compliance with industry standards, customer requirements, and regulatory guidelines while driving continuous improvement across all quality processes. This exciting opportunity is directly in support of a major, multi-year expansion and industrialization project providing the candidate with the unique opportunity to build, implement and subsequently sustain critical quality management programs and protocols.

• Build and lead a highly engaged quality department team; ensuring the team has what they need to be successful; and keep them safe in order to deliver the highest quality aerospace transparencies on time to our customers.
• Create and sustain a culture aligned with our "Great Place to Work" values by role-modeling behaviors, motivating, and recognizing team contributions.
• Execute Daily Management and Standardized Work through Leader Standard Work.
• Be open and honest in performance appraisals, supporting and coaching individuals to close performance gaps.
• Lead the development and deployment of the site quality strategy aligned with GKN Aerospace's global quality vision.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO9001, customer-specific requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Drive Zero Defect initiatives and embed a quality-first mindset across all functions.
• Oversee internal and external audit programs, corrective actions, and quality system improvements.
• Partner with engineering and operations to ensure robust product and process quality planning (APQP, PPAP, FMEA).
• Manage customer quality relationships, including issue resolution, performance reviews, and audits.
• Monitor and report on key quality metrics (e.g., DPPM, COPQ, NCRs, audit findings) and drive performance improvements.
• Investigate and resolve quality issues, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions

• Bachelor degree in Quality, Mechanical, Chemical, and/or Systems Engineering or similar required
• 10 years of quality manufacturing experience
• 10 years of management, supervisory, or leadership professional experience
• Must be U.S. Person in compliance with U.S. ITAR regulations
• Excellent communications skills and ability to organize and implement multiple concurrent tasks.
• Aerospace or aircraft parts manufacturing industry experience
• Structured problem solving tools (PFMEA, DOE, 5-why, etc.).
• Deep knowledge of aerospace quality standards (AS9100, AS9145, ISO9001) and customer/regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with digital quality systems and data-driven decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Aerospace or aircraft parts manufacturing industry experience in the Joint Strike Fighter program, OEM customers (e.g. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier, Airbus, etc.)
• Proficient with product analysis in a model based definition (CATIA V5, UGNX, etc.) environment.
• Internal audit training/experience and statistical analysis experience highly preferred.
• Advanced analytical skills with Excel, Mini tab, and Power BI is preferred.
• Zero Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) deployment experience is preferred.