Head of Quality & Reliability

About Northwood: Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company focused on connecting space and Earth. The world runs on space. Space will run on Northwood. Our global ground network ensures that missions ranging from national security, to global connectivity, to disaster response can unlock their full potential and operate every day without fail. Role: We are seeking a hands-on, systems-oriented Head of Quality & Reliability to build and lead a world-class quality organization as we scale from product development to production. This is a foundational leadership role responsible for embedding quality and reliability into every stage of the product lifecycle, ensuring our systems meet the highest standards of performance, safety, and mission success. As the leader of Quality & Reliability, you will architect and implement our Quality Management System (QMS), lead the company through AS9100 certification, and establish the processes, standards, and culture required to deliver mission-critical aerospace systems with exceptional quality and reliability. Working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and Production teams, you will ensure that quality is built into our products and processes from the outset, driving continuous improvement and operational excellence across the organization. The ideal candidate is a builder and leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, enjoys creating scalable systems from the ground up, and has successfully established quality and reliability functions within aerospace, defense, space, or other high-performance engineering organizations. You bring deep technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, and a passion for enabling teams to deliver products customers can trust. Responsibilities: Build, implement, and continuously improve the company Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance, scalability, and operational excellence Lead the achievement and maintenance of AS9100 certification, including audits, compliance activities, training, and continuous improvement initiatives Own core quality processes, including document control, configuration management, nonconformance management, CAPA, and audit readiness Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and Production teams to embed quality and reliability throughout the product lifecycle Develop and implement quality plans, process controls, acceptance criteria, and manufacturing quality strategies that support reliable product delivery Lead root cause investigations and continuous improvement efforts to reduce defects, improve yields, and enhance process capability Establish quality and reliability metrics, reporting systems, and data-driven improvement initiatives across the organization Develop and execute the company’s reliability strategy, including qualification testing, reliability growth, failure analysis, and risk mitigation methodologies. Drive implementation of reliability engineering best practices, including FMEA, FRACAS, fault analysis, and lifecycle risk management 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 Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Quality Engineering, or related technical discipline 8+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, quality engineering, or reliability engineering 3+ years of experience leading teams or owning major cross-functional quality initiatives Experience operating in high-reliability industries (aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, etc.) Strong background in DFMEA, Control Plans, DOE, Six Sigma, DFSS, statistical methods, and reliability engineering A track record of building or scaling quality systems in low-to-medium volume, high-complexity environments Preferred Qualifications: Experience in high-growth startup or rapidly scaling manufacturing environments Experience leading organizations through AS9100 certification or major QMS transformations Experience building systems for quality data, analytics, and feedback loops that drive operational or engineering improvements 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 Additional Information: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Northwood is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.