Senior Director, Quality

Job description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. Role Overview The Senior Director, Quality is the senior quality leader for Ursa Major. This leader is accountable for product quality, quality compliance, and the effectiveness of the Quality Management System across all sites and product lines, including solid rocket motors, hypersonic propulsion, in-space propulsion, and avionics. Reporting to the Chief Safety and Risk Officer, the Sr. Director serves as the company’s senior quality representative to DCMA, government customers, and prime contractors. They will build the program and customer-facing quality capability Ursa Major needs as it scales from development into rate production and operates as a public company. This role leads the full quality organization, including quality control, inspection, metrology and calibration, quality systems, and product quality engineering, with full authority to shape its structure as the business grows. The ideal candidate knows what prime-level quality looks like and how to deliver it at startup speed, scaling rigor to risk rather than adding bureaucracy. This is a senior leadership role, but it is also a hands-on one: we expect this leader to roll up their sleeves, lead from the front, and work in the trenches alongside the team as we scale. Key Responsibilities Quality Leadership & Strategy Own Ursa Major’s quality strategy, objectives, budget, and organization, structuring and developing the quality team to support growth across all product lines and sites. Build a culture of quality where every function owns quality and builds it into design, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery. Match quality rigor to program maturity: move at the speed development programs require while meeting the full expectations of mature defense and prime customer programs. Government & Prime Customer Quality Serve as Ursa Major’s senior quality representative to DCMA, government customers, prime contractors, and certification bodies, building trust-based relationships with DCMA quality assurance representatives and customer quality organizations. Lead quality across Ursa Major’s business models: all-up-round deliveries directly to the U.S. government, SRM and propulsion deliveries as a supplier to defense primes, and in-space propulsion systems for satellite and spacecraft customers. Build an organization capable of reviewing proposals and contracts for quality requirements, including FAR/DFARS quality clauses and customer-specific requirements, and ensure they flow down and implemented across design, purchasing, manufacturing, inspection, and delivery. Own government source inspection, product acceptance, and customer audit readiness, including WAWF acceptance, government first article approval, and witnessed lot acceptance testing. Partner with material control to 3nsure effective control of government-furnished property and material under FAR 52.245-1, and support DCMA property management system reviews in partnership with Supply Chain and Contracts. Lead the company’s response to customer corrective action requests, audit findings, and quality escapes. Program Quality Build Ursa Major’s program quality function, providing dedicated quality ownership for major programs and customers from contract award through delivery. Own contractual quality deliverables and commitments, including first article inspection reports, acceptance data packages, certificates of conformance, as-built records, and customer witness and hold points, and represent quality in program reviews and customer meetings. Quality Systems & Product Quality Own the AS9100 Quality Management System and scale it across sites and product lines, including certification and audits, management review, nonconformance and Material Review Board, corrective action, and Nadcap accreditation of special processes where customers require it. Maintain effective controls for configuration, traceability, quality records, foreign object prevention, and counterfeit parts prevention, including GIDEP reporting. Partner with Engineering and Mission Assurance on design reviews, qualification, first article, and production readiness, and support a disciplined production rate ramp across solid rocket motors, hydrazine satellite propulsion systems, and potential future liquid-engine all-up rounds. In partnership with Safety, ensure quality controls fit energetics manufacturing, including propellant processing, cast-cure operations, and lot control and traceability of energetic materials. Ensure quality coverage for avionics and electronics, including electronics assembly workmanship and software and firmware quality, developing the team expertise needed as the avionics business grows. Shape supplier quality through influence rather than ownership: partner with Procurement, which owns supplier engineering, to set supplier quality requirements and flowdowns, weigh in on the selection and approval of critical suppliers, and drive resolution of supplier escapes. Authority & Public Company Governance Hold authority to stop production, testing, acceptance, or shipment when product conformity, safety, or contractual compliance may be compromised, with an independent escalation path to the CEO and Business Unit President. Lead cost of poor quality reduction and continuous improvement: partner with Finance to accurately capture scrap, rework, and warranty costs in line with public company financial controls and use that data to drive measurable improvements. Other duties as assigned. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field. 10+ years of progressive quality experience in aerospace, defense, or similarly regulated manufacturing, including 5+ years in senior quality leadership building, scaling, and leading quality organizations. Direct, hands-on experience working with DCMA, including quality surveillance, government source inspection, and corrective action requests. Direct experience serving U.S. government and prime contractor customers, including contract quality requirements, FAR/DFARS quality clauses, requirement flowdowns, and customer audits. Demonstrated experience leading and sustaining an AS9100-certified Quality Management System. Experience leading quality through the transition from development into production and rate ramp. Track record of right-sizing quality rigor to risk, maintaining compliance and product integrity without slowing execution. Proven ability to build and sustain a strong culture of quality, where ownership of quality extends well beyond the quality organization. Preferred Qualifications Experience with solid rocket motors, energetic materials, propellant processing, munitions, or tactical propulsion (strongly preferred). Public company experience (strongly preferred), including board-level reporting or supporting public company internal controls; experience through an IPO is a plus. Experience in both a traditional prime and a startup or non-traditional defense environment. Familiarity with avionics and electronics quality, such as electronics workmanship standards (IPC J-STD-001, IPC-A-610), ESD control, and software and firmware quality assurance. Master’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field. ASQ CMQ/OE, CQE, or CQA certification, or AS9100 lead auditor experience. Working Conditions / Physical Demands Work performed in office, laboratory, and manufacturing environments, including hazardous and energetic operations areas that require personal protective equipment and adherence to explosives safety and site security protocols. Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and work on a computer for prolonged durations. Occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds. Ability to travel up to 25% to Ursa Major sites, customers, suppliers, and government facilities. Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $225,000 - $275,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy. Classification: Full-time Exempt Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits) Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA) Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport EAP Program Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match How To Apply: Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants. NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents). Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance. We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. No outside recruiters, please.