Senior Director, Quality Engineering & Control

Description

Senior Director, Quality Engineering & Control (Defense Systems Sector)

About Leidos Defense Systems

Leidos Defense Systems (DSS) has delivered advanced engineering, manufacturing, and mission assurance for more than 45 years. Our technologies enable success across Aviation, Shipbuilding, Electronic Warfare, Space Payloads, Missile Systems, and more. We invest heavily in innovation, pushing boundaries for the most demanding customers worldwide.

As we scale our Defense Systems Sector, quality is not just a compliance requirement — it’s a competitive differentiator. We’re seeking a Senior Director of Quality Engineering & Control (QEC) to architect, transform, and elevate how quality is embedded into every program, product, and process.

Your Mission

As Sr. Director, QEC, you will be the enterprise leader for quality across DSS, accountable for designing and executing a sector-wide quality strategy that ensures zero-defect delivery, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across a multi-site, multi-domain enterprise.

This role reports directly to senior Mission Assurance leadership and is empowered to shape culture, drive cross-functional alignment, and build a scalable quality framework that supports rapid growth and next-generation capabilities.

What You’ll Lead

• Strategic Quality Leadership
  • Define and own a long-term quality strategy aligned to corporate and sector objectives.
  • Translate business requirements into robust quality architecture, systems, and standards.
• Sector Quality Management
  • Direct quality assurance, quality engineering, supplier quality, calibration, and continuous improvement across multiple sites and programs.
  • Lead deployment and maturation of an integrated Quality Management System (QMS) supporting AS9100, ISO 9001, AS6500, and CMMI certifications.
  • Oversee independent audits, regulatory compliance, and corrective/preventive action closure.
• Cultural & People Leadership
  • Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing quality leadership team across the sector.
  • Embed a culture of prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement in manufacturing and engineering operations.
  • Partner with senior executives as a trusted advisor on risk, compliance, and operational performance.
• Operational Impact & Transformation
  • Establish and track key performance indicators (KPI) such as defect rates, cost of quality, supplier performance, and audit closure cycle times.
  • Drive systemic root cause analysis, corrective action, and lessons learned across programs.
  • Deploy Lean, Six Sigma, and digital quality tools to increase throughput, reduce escapes, and accelerate time to delivery.
• Supplier & Value-Chain Excellence
  • Partner with global suppliers to raise qualification standards, improve first-time quality, and drive cost-effective compliance.
  • Lead escalations, recovery actions, and strategic supplier development initiatives.

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires bachelor’s degree and twelve (12) years of progressive leadership in quality, mission assurance, or engineering management within aerospace, defense, or high-reliability sectors.
• Seven (7) + years of experience supervising or leading large teams or projects.
• Proven record transforming quality organizations and embedding culture change at scale.
• Deep expertise in QMS standards, audits, regulatory compliance, and corrective/preventive action frameworks.
• Experience managing large, distributed teams and multi-site operations.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in scaling an organization for volume and efficiency.
• Experience with implementation of structured sampling inspection plans and/or inspection reduction plans, preferably in machining/mechanical hardware and electronics hardware production.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and data-driven quality management practices.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders, customers, and regulators.
• Strong analytical, communication, and storytelling skills — able to translate quality metrics into business outcomes.
• Must be a US Citizen and able to obtain and maintain DoD Security Clearance and maintain other clearances as needed.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain credentials to access government installations. Must be willing to relocate to Huntsville, AL or the North Alabama area
• Must be proficient in utilizing Microsoft Office products.
• Must have exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

Why Join Leidos DSS

• Strategic Visibility: Regular engagement with sector and corporate executives.
• Transformation Mandate: Freedom to design and lead the next generation of quality systems.
• Enterprise Impact: Your leadership will directly influence delivery outcomes, customer satisfaction, and future contracts.
• Culture & Team: Build a high-performing organization that defines “what right looks like” in quality excellence.
• Innovation: Leverage R&D investments and advanced digital tools to reinvent how quality is done in aerospace and defense.

At Leidos, quality isn’t just assurance — it’s mission assurance. Join us and lead the charge in redefining excellence.

Come break things (in a good way). Then build them smarter.

We're the tech company everyone calls when things get weird. We don’t wear capes (they’re a safety hazard), but we do solve high-stakes problems with code, caffeine, and a healthy disregard for “how it’s always been done.”

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.