Quality Engineering Associate Manager - L4

Standard Job Description

The Quality Engineering Associate Manager leads a team of approximately 10 Quality Engineers while providing direct, hands-on quality engineering support to programs and production operations. This is a working manager role that balances personnel leadership, resource management, and technical execution. This role is responsible for Fort Worth Fabrication and Low Observable Finishes.
The ideal candidate has a strong background in quality engineering, with the ability to apply practical quality principles, resolve complex quality issues, and drive continuous improvement while developing and leading a high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities

- Lead and develop the team: Manage daily operations, establish priorities, allocate resources, mentor employees, and drive team performance to meet organizational and program objectives.

- Provide hands-on quality engineering support: Directly support assigned programs and production operations through development, review, and implementation of quality requirements, standards, procedures, work instructions, and control plans.

- Partner cross-functionally: Collaborate with program management, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, suppliers, and customers to resolve quality issues and achieve program objectives.

- Improve quality performance: Monitor quality metrics, analyze trends, identify systemic issues, and implement improvements that enhance product quality, reliability, and operational efficiency.

- Oversee quality systems and compliance: Support quality audits, assess process effectiveness, identify deficiencies, and ensure compliance with applicable quality standards and requirements.

Manages those who apply quality principles in the areas of: design, incoming material, production control, product evaluation, program performance, reliability, inventory control, and/or research and development as they apply to product or process quality for make and/or buy products. Performs technical evaluations including product requirements, specifications, models/designs, drawings and procedures. Collaborates with program management, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and customers on quality related issues to ensure quality standards are in place. Engages in product failure investigations, material review board decisions and corrective/preventive action. Ensures corrective measures meet acceptable reliability standards and/or are compliant with requirements. Develops strategies and systems designed to improve internal and/or supplier performance and productivity. Evaluates quality systems for deficiency identification and correction. Designs and analyzes inspection and testing processes, mechanisms and equipment; conducts product quality tests, performs statistical analysis to assess products or materials that do not meet required standards and specifications. Engages in supplier selection process and maintain certification programs.

Basic Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in quality engineering, quality management, team leadership, or related functional activities.

- Demonstrated quality engineering experience developing, reviewing, and implementing quality requirements, standards, procedures, methods, work instructions, and control plans.

- Experience leading teams, projects, or functional activities, including establishing priorities, allocating resources, and driving performance.

- Experience using quality metrics and performance trends to identify issues, implement corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement.

- Experience leading cross-functional root cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions using tools such as 8D, 5-Why, Fault Tree Analysis, FMEA, and process flow diagrams.

- Ability to collaborate across functional organizations to resolve technical and operational issues.

- U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Desired Skills

- Experience with low observable coatings and/or a fabrication environment

- Previous experience as a Quality or Manufacturing Engineer, preferably supporting manufacturing or production operations.

- Previous experience managing or leading quality or manufacturing engineering personnel.

- Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or another STEM discipline.

- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) and/or Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA).

- Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

- Experience with AS9100 interpretation, implementation, and compliance.

- Strong understanding of production operations, inspection methods, measurement equipment, and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).

- Understanding of quality audit techniques and quality management systems.

- Experience with SAP/ERP, Apriso, SharePoint, Tableau, or other business intelligence tools.

- Strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $104900.00 - $194700.00
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The salary range for this position is as listed on the requisition. Please note that the salary information listed is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market(work location) and business considerations when extending an offer.
Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible work arrangements and schedules (e.g., 4x10), 401(k) match, Paid time off, Holidays, Parental Leave, EAP, Flexible Spending Accounts, Education Assistance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.

- Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs may be offered depending on the position. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and can vary from year to year and are tied to a range of performance metrics.

- For (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.