VP of Mission Assurance & Quality (MA&Q)

What you’ll be doing:

Mission Assurance

Own the FMEA/FMECA from initial build through qualification -zero unmitigated single-point failures is a CDR entry criterion

Chair the Failure Review Board (FRB) -convene, lead root cause investigation, assess extent of condition, and close with verified corrective action

Define mission success criteria and own fault tree analysis

Safety

Implement and own the system safety program per MIL-STD-882 or program-equivalent standard

Lead hazard analysis (PHA, SHA) and maintain the hazard tracking log through every gate

Manage propulsion, battery, high-voltage, and deployment safety; provide range safety interface for launch operations

Quality Assurance

Exercise independent inspection authority across all program phases

Hold sole NCR disposition authority -Use-As-Is and Repair require MA&Q concurrence regardless of phase

Enforce workmanship standards per IPC-A-610 Class 3; conduct process audits and first article inspections

Issue Standing Disposition Authorizations (SDAs) for recurring Tier 2/3 NCRs; Tier 1 Critical NCRs trigger CTO notification within 4 hours

Reliability Engineering

Own quantitative reliability model per MIL-HDBK-217 or equivalent; track MTBF/MTTR targets against the constellation availability model

Lead reliability growth tracking, redundancy analysis, and reliability predictions correlated with test data at QR

Parts Engineering & Radiation

Maintain the Preferred Parts List (PPL) - sole authority to add or remove parts; no part may fly without PPL approval

Enforce derating compliance at CDR and manage lot acceptance testing

Specify the mission radiation environment (TID, SEE, displacement damage) and track radiation margins for all flight parts

Configuration Management

Chair the production CCB and administer the ECO/ECN process

Maintain as-built configuration records from the MES; execute FCA and PCA before Phase Close Gate

Provide as-built conformance report to the CTO

What you bring to this role:

15+ years of progressive mission assurance, quality engineering, or reliability engineering on flight programs; at least one spacecraft program carried from system requirements through on-orbit operations

Demonstrated record of exercising halt/reject authority or withholding qualification sign-off against schedule and cost pressure you must describe a specific instance. This is the most important qualification for the role

Direct accountability for a flight program's FMEA/FMECA from initial build through qualification, including enforcing zero-unmitigated-SPOF at CDR

Experience designing, implementing, and running a tiered NCR classification and disposition system at production rate, including Use-As-Is and Repair disposition authority

Direct experience chairing or co-chairing a spacecraft Qualification Review and making the independent go/no-go determination

Familiarity with PPL management, derating analysis, lot acceptance testing, and radiation qualification requirements (TID, SEE)

Demonstrated record of building multi-discipline assurance teams spanning all seven functions

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical Engineering, or related field — or equivalent verifiable experience

Bonus Points for the Following

Direct experience with constellation programs and fleet-wide conformance reporting

Familiarity with SAP (Special Access Program) assurance requirements

Prior experience as CCB chair in a high-rate production environment

Familiarity with CMMI or AS9100 quality management systems in a space or defense manufacturing environment

Range safety certification or prior direct range safety interface experience