VP of Quality

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full Time Louisville, KY, US

First Class Air is seeking a detail oriented, strategic VP of Quality to join the team! The VP of Quality will serve as the organization s senior authority on quality and regulatory matters and will partner closely with executive leadership and operating company leaders to ensure quality is integrated into business strategy, operational decision-making, customer commitments, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The position will oversee quality functions across multiple companies and locations, including FAA/EASA-certified repair station operations, manufacturing, distribution, component repair, and other aviation aftermarket activities.

Essential Job Functions:

Enterprise Quality Strategy & Leadership

• Establish consistent quality standards, policies, procedures, and performance expectations across all companies within the holdings group.
• Establish appropriate organizational structures, staffing models, and resources necessary to support Quality across the enterprise.
• Develop and maintain enterprise Quality objectives, KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Regularly report quality performance, regulatory risks, significant findings, trends, and improvement initiatives to executive leadership.

Regulatory Compliance & Oversight

• Maintain executive oversight of compliance with applicable FAA, EASA, UK CAA, OSHA, and other regulatory requirements.
• Ensure operating companies maintain appropriate certifications, approvals, manuals, procedures, and quality systems.
• Maintain organizational readiness for regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure appropriate implementation across affected business units.

Quality Management Systems

• Establish and maintain an enterprise Quality Management System framework while allowing individual companies to maintain business-specific procedures where required.
• Standardize quality processes and best practices across operating companies where appropriate.
• Oversee development, revision, and implementation of quality manuals, procedures, inspection programs, and supporting documentation.
• Establish governance for document control, records management, inspection processes, calibration, personnel qualifications, and other critical quality systems.

Audits & Corrective Action

• Provide executive oversight of internal, external, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.
• Establish an enterprise-wide audit strategy and risk-based audit schedule.
• Ensure significant audit findings are appropriately investigated, contained, corrected, and prevented from recurring.
• Oversee enterprise corrective and preventive action (
  CAPA
  ) processes.
• Ensure root cause analysis is appropriately performed and corrective actions are effective.
• Identify recurring issues and systemic trends across companies and implement enterprise-wide corrective actions when appropriate.

Airworthiness & Technical Quality

• Maintain executive oversight of airworthiness and return-to-service processes across applicable repair station operations.
• Ensure appropriate controls exist for FAA Form 8130-3, EASA Form 1, inspection, certification, and related airworthiness documentation.
• Ensure maintenance, repair, overhaul, and inspection activities are performed in accordance with approved technical data and applicable regulations.
• Establish enterprise expectations for receiving, in-process, and final inspections.
• Oversee management of capability lists, personnel authorizations, technician and inspector qualifications, stamps, and related controls.
• Ensure calibration programs and control of tools and test equipment meet applicable requirements.
• Provide executive oversight of significant customer quality concerns and escalations.
• Partner with Sales and Operations to ensure customer quality expectations are understood and consistently met.
• Monitor supplier-related quality trends and recurring issues.
• Serve as an executive escalation point for critical customer quality matters.

Requirements:

• Bachelor s degree in Aviation, Engineering, Quality, Business, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in aviation, aerospace, MRO, manufacturing, or another highly regulated environment.
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in Quality, Regulatory Compliance, Safety, Inspection, or…