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Company Overview
Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup, founded by two ex-Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing a small, autonomous gun turret that employs advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely target and neutralize small drones and loitering munitions. Our innovative approach requires overcoming significant technical challenges, making this an exciting and dynamic environment for experienced engineers.
With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders' successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.
Position Overview
We're looking for a Director of Quality to build our quality function from the ground up — including our path toward ISO 9001 — and lead it for the long haul. This role sets the multi-year quality strategy while staying grounded in what's really happening on the floor, in the supply base, and with customers. Our hardware matters; defects here aren't abstract metrics. Our core philosophy is quality at the source: quality can't be inspected in after the fact, it has to be built right the first time. QA is the backstop, not the primary defense — an escape that reaches the customer is a production failure, not a QA failure.
We want a pragmatic leader who favors simple, practical problem-solving (5 Whys, direct observation) over paperwork-heavy processes, and who will build a genuine partnership with Supply Chain and supplier quality engineers to catch issues at the source rather than at receiving.
What You'll Do:
Strategic & Long-Range Leadership
• Own the long-range quality strategy, translating business goals into a multi-year plan for systems, staffing, and capability.
• Architect our Quality Management System — including our path toward ISO 9001 — from the ground up, building processes that are clear and simple, not just audit-ready.
• Own the audit calendar as the QMS matures, treating findings as strategic input, not a checkbox.
• Set and report quality KPIs (defect rates, first-pass yield, complaints, supplier performance); a data point is noise, a trend is a signal.
• Put every requirement, gate, and approval on trial — if no one can name who owns it and why it exists, that's the signal to cut it, not preserve it.
Ground Truth & Root Cause
• Get out onto the floor, into supplier facilities, and in front of customers regularly — not just working from what's reported up the chain.
• Personally lead or coach RCCA using practical, lightweight tools (5 Whys, direct observation) instead of heavy formal methodologies when they aren't warranted.
• Move with urgency: default to “why can't this be fixed today,” not “when can we fit this in.”
Supply Chain & Supplier Quality
• Build a close partnership with Supply Chain and supplier quality engineers, treating supplier quality as a shared mission.
• Drive supplier qualification, scorecards, and joint problem-solving to resolve issues at the source.
• Serve as the primary quality point of contact for DCMA surveillance, audits, and findings.
Stakeholder Relationships
• Partner especially closely with Engineering and Manufacturing — closing the loop between field/production issues and design decisions, and keeping quality and throughput goals aligned.
• Own key external customer relationships on quality matters, building credibility through transparency and follow-through.
Team & Culture
• Manage, mentor, and develop the quality team with a bias toward action and practical problem-solving.
• Keep the QMS lean — every process should exist because it supports a real decision, not because it looks good on paper.
• Own customer complaints and non-conformances through to true root cause and permanent corrective action.
What You'll Need:
• 8+ years in quality leadership, ideally in manufacturing, hardware, or defense/aerospace.
• Experience building or scaling a QMS; ISO 9001 experience strongly preferred (we are not yet certified — you'll help drive us there).
• A track record of practical, tool-light RCCA (5 Whys, direct observation) over heavyweight, paperwork-driven processes.
• Experience partnering closely with Supply Chain and supplier quality engineers.
• Comfort operating at both strategic altitude and on the floor — this is a hands-on role, not a desk job.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to influence engineering, manufacturing, and executive leadership alike.
What We Offer
Competitive salary
ACS Equity Package
Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
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