Quality Manager

Description

Protora is formerly C Speed. We build radar and surveillance systems that give military and government customers eyes on their airspace, borders, and critical sites. Our name draws from the Praetorian Guard
, elite soldiers whose job was to watch and protect
. That history shapes our mission today:
we take first watch, so the people we protect don't have to
. We are a growing company with a new brand and a clear direction
.

Protora is hiring a Quality Manager to lead the company's Quality Management System (QMS), oversee ISO 9001 certification and ongoing compliance across multiple facilities, and ensure products and processes consistently meet customer, contractual, regulatory, and internal requirements.

Working across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Programs, and Operations
, this role promotes a culture of quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution appropriate to a defense technology and precision manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate combines strong quality systems expertise with a practical, hands‑on approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement in a complex technical environment.

• Lead and maintain Protora's Quality Management System (QMS) to support ISO 9001 certification, ongoing compliance, and continuous improvement across company facilities.
• Lead ISO 9001 certification efforts for the new manufacturing facility
  , including QMS implementation, documentation, audit preparation, and certification readiness.
• Maintain ISO 9001 certification at existing facilities
  , ensuring quality processes, procedures, and records remain current and compliant.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to ensure products meet technical and customer requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Oversee inspection, nonconformance management, root‑cause investigations, and corrective and preventive actions involving product or process quality issues.
• Plan and conduct internal ISO 9001 audits and coordinate external certification, surveillance, and recertification audits with third‑party certification auditors, including corrective‑action follow‑up.
• Monitor quality performance and develop meaningful metrics and reporting.
• Support supplier quality activities
  , including qualification, performance monitoring, and issue resolution.
• Support first‑article inspection, product acceptance, and production‑readiness activities
  .
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and risk reduction while promoting quality awareness and process discipline across the organization.
• Travel: 30–40% initially
  , with travel requirements expected to decrease as the new facility becomes operational.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 7+ years of progressive quality experience in manufacturing
  , aerospace, defense, electronics, or another highly regulated technical environment.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and maintaining ISO 9001-certified Quality Management Systems
  , including internal audits, external certification audits, and ongoing compliance.
• Experience with audits, corrective actions, root‑cause analysis, and nonconformance management
  .
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical requirements
  .
• Strong analytical, documentation, problem‑solving, and cross‑functional communication skills.

• Experience in aerospace, defense, radar, electronics, and/or complex electromechanical manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting supplier quality, product acceptance, and production‑readiness activities.
• Familiarity with configuration-controlled environments and quality…