Head of Quality & Reliability

About the role

The Head of Quality & Reliability at Northwood Space is a pivotal leadership position focused on establishing a world-class quality organization from the ground up. This role owns the end-to-end quality and reliability strategy for our global space infrastructure, ensuring that every ground station system meets the rigorous demands of mission-critical operations. The hire will architect and implement the foundational Quality Management System that enables predictable, repeatable, and compliant production at scale. They will lead the company through AS9100 certification while embedding a culture of data-driven continuous improvement across Engineering, Manufacturing, and Production. This leader will partner deeply with cross-functional teams to translate customer and mission requirements into robust processes, controls, and acceptance criteria. They will drive root cause analysis, reliability growth, and risk mitigation to achieve exceptional product integrity and operational excellence. The role is responsible for building scalable quality and reliability functions that instill trust with customers, regulators, and internal stakeholders as we rapidly deploy phased array ground stations worldwide.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Build, implement, and continuously improve the company Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure compliance, scalability, and operational excellence across all product lines.
• Lead the achievement and maintenance of AS9100 certification, including overseeing audits, compliance activities, training programs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Own core quality processes such as document control, configuration management, nonconformance management, CAPA, and audit readiness to maintain rigorous standards.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and Production teams to embed quality and reliability throughout the entire product lifecycle from concept to deployment.
• Develop and implement comprehensive quality plans, process controls, acceptance criteria, and manufacturing quality strategies that support reliable product delivery at scale.
• Lead root cause investigations and continuous improvement efforts to reduce defects, improve yields, and enhance process capability across production and integration activities.
• Establish quality and reliability metrics, reporting systems, and data-driven improvement initiatives to provide visibility and accountability across the organization.
• Develop and execute the company's reliability strategy, including qualification testing, reliability growth programs, failure analysis, and risk mitigation methodologies.
• Drive implementation of reliability engineering best practices, such as FMEA, FRACAS, fault analysis, and lifecycle risk management for ground station and satellite communication systems.
• Build and lead a high-performing Quality & Reliability organization while serving as a trusted cross-functional leader balancing product integrity, operational efficiency, and execution speed.
• Establish processes for quality data, analytics, and feedback loops that drive operational and engineering improvements across the business.
• Ensure that quality and reliability considerations are integrated into design reviews, production ramp-up, and field deployment activities.
• Collaborate with supply chain and procurement to enforce quality standards for purchased materials and outsourced processes.
• Support the development of policies and procedures that align with customer requirements, regulatory expectations, and industry best practices.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Bring 8+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, quality engineering, or reliability engineering within high-technology or engineering environments.
• Demonstrate 3+ years of experience leading teams or owning major cross-functional quality initiatives that impact product and process outcomes.
• Possess strong experience operating in high-reliability industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, or energy where compliance and performance are critical.
• Show a strong background in DFMEA, Control Plans, Design of Experiments (DOE), Six Sigma, DFSS, and statistical methods applied to complex systems.
• Have a track record of building or scaling quality systems in low-to-medium volume, high-complexity environments typical of early-stage aerospace and defense organizations.
• Exhibit deep knowledge of reliability engineering methods, including qualification testing, reliability growth, failure analysis, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Maintain the ability to obtain and securely handle a Top Secret clearance as required by U.S. government contracts and sensitive space missions.

Nice to have

• Experience in high-growth startup or rapidly scaling manufacturing environments where agility and structured process development are essential.
• Experience leading organizations through AS9100 certification or major QMS transformations in aerospace or defense contexts.
• Experience building systems for quality data, analytics, and feedback loops that enable operational and engineering improvements.
• A background spanning both technical and operational roles, including quality, manufacturing engineering, or operations leadership.
• Hands-on experience with RF, PCBA, custom enclosures, or electromechanical assemblies, or other complex hardware systems common in space communications infrastructure.

Practical notes

• This role requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a U.S. government Top Secret clearance to support national security satellite missions.
• The position is based in Torrance, California, and is offered as a full-time employment opportunity.
• Travel may be required as necessary for customer visits, supplier audits, or mission-critical project support.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship for the required security clearance due to the nature of government contracts.