Supplier Quality Engineering, Rocket Motor Systems
On-siteMcHenry, Mississippi, United States
Job Summary
Serve as the dedicated supplier quality focal for Rocket Motor Systems, embedded at the McHenry facility, providing a single point of accountability for all supplier quality matters across the motor bill of materials. Act as the first responder for supplier quality escapes, nonconformances, and delivery disruptions, leading immediate containment and triage while determining when to engage commodity-based specialists. Own the supplier corrective action lifecycle from SCAR issuance through root cause verification and effectiveness confirmation, presenting status trends to the Corrective Action Board monthly. Develop and maintain a supplier quality development plan aligned to each critical supplier, identifying capability gaps and process maturity levels to transition from prototype to high-rate production readiness. Conduct regular supplier site visits to assess manufacturing processes and quality systems firsthand, and reciprocally host suppliers at McHenry to understand RMS requirements. Partner with design engineering for design-for-manufacturability feedback, drive supplier qualification activities including AS9102, PPAP, and MSA, and audit quality management systems against AS9100 and customer flowdown requirements. Monitor and report supplier quality metrics to translate data into actionable narratives, coordinate with the commodity-based team for enterprise-wide visibility, and identify single-source risks to develop alternate qualification strategies. Travel up to 50% of the time to supplier facilities, with the balance on-site at McHenry.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of supplier quality engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or propulsion manufacturing, with direct responsibility for supplier development, auditing, and corrective action management.
- Experience scaling supplier quality from development and prototype phases through low-rate initial production (LRIP) to full-rate production, including the process changes and controls required at each transition.
- Working knowledge of AS9100/ISO 9001 quality management system requirements, with experience conducting or leading supplier audits.
- AS9100 Lead Auditor certification or equivalent is a plus.
- Proficiency with First Article Inspection (AS9102), PPAP, APQP, FMEA, and measurement systems analysis (MSA), and the ability to apply these tools in a supplier development context rather than just a compliance context.
- Demonstrated ability to lead root cause investigations and corrective action processes (8D, SCAR, fishbone, fault tree) through to verified effectiveness, not just paperwork closure.
- Familiarity with energetic materials, solid propellant manufacturing, or ordnance/pyrotechnic supply chains — including the safety, regulatory, and handling requirements unique to these commodities.
- Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time to supplier facilities, with the balance of time on-site at the McHenry, MS facility engaging directly with RMS engineering, manufacturing, and test operations.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust-based relationships with suppliers as partners while maintaining accountability for quality outcomes — comfortable being direct when standards aren't met and collaborative when developing solutions.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense Secret security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
Desired Qualifications
- Master's degree in a technical field (engineering, materials science, chemistry, or related discipline).
- Experience working within or supporting a solid rocket motor manufacturing environment — including familiarity with propellant processing, motor case fabrication, nozzle/TVC assemblies, or insulation/liner systems at the supplier or OEM level.
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Certified Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP) certification.
- Experience with the regulatory and safety environment surrounding energetic materials — including ATF explosives licensing, OSHA PSM, DoD explosive safety (DDESB/NOSSA), and the handling, storage, and transportation requirements that constrain supplier facility design and operations.
- Knowledge of the SRM supplier ecosystem — propellant ingredient manufacturers, specialty chemical suppliers, composite case fabricators, nozzle material vendors, insulation/ablative suppliers, and the qualification barriers associated with second-sourcing in these commodity families.
- Experience with advanced product quality planning (APQP) in a defense context, including development of supplier control plans that bridge the gap between engineering intent and production-floor reality across multiple supplier tiers.
- Familiarity with government contract quality requirements, including MIL-STD, DCMA oversight, government source inspection (GSI), and customer flowdown interpretation — particularly the ability to translate prime contract quality clauses into supplier-level requirements without over-specification.
- Experience leveraging AI-assisted tools and data analytics to streamline supplier quality workflows — including automated nonconformance trending, predictive supplier risk scoring, or digital audit and corrective action management systems.
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