Director of Quality

Director of Quality

American Engineering Testing Inc, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States – Quality Assurance

Lead quality at the highest level. AET is seeking a strategic, enterprise‑minded Director of Quality to shape and advance our Quality Management System across the organization. This is an opportunity to influence how quality is embedded in our operations, strengthen compliance and risk management, and help drive consistent, high‑quality outcomes for our clients and teams. Based in St. Paul and reporting to the COO, this role is ideal for a leader who can connect big‑picture strategy with practical execution across a complex, technical business.

At AET, we work together to build a more certain world through critical investigations, testing, analysis, and design. As a 100% employee‑owned company headquartered in St. Paul, we combine technical expertise, long‑term client relationships, and a collaborative culture to deliver trusted solutions across geotechnical, construction services, pavements, environmental, building technology, laboratories, and other specialized disciplines. In this role, you will help elevate enterprise quality standards in a company where safety, quality, communication, and continuous improvement matter.

• Establish and lead AET’s enterprise quality strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Act as the senior authority on quality across AET, influencing operational standards and client outcomes.
• Provide regular reporting to senior leadership on QMS performance, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Drive cross‑functional alignment and consistency in quality execution across regions and service lines.
• Champion innovation in quality systems, reporting, and tools to enhance efficiency and client satisfaction.
• Oversee the design, maintenance, and effectiveness of the enterprise QMS, including policies, procedures, work instructions and forms.
• Ensure QMS documentation is controlled, current, and aligned with governing standards.
• Promote a company‑wide culture of quality, reinforcing accountability and performance improvement at all levels.
• Serve as the executive liaison for external audits, accreditation bodies, and client quality requirements.
• Lead internal audit programs to evaluate adequacy, implementation, and effectiveness of the QMS.
• Oversee nonconforming work processes, including escalation, evaluation, and resolution of quality issues.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented, monitored, and verified for effectiveness using structured methodologies. Partner with operations, engineering, laboratory and field teams to integrate quality standards into all phases of project delivery.
• Oversee investigation and resolution of internal and external quality‑related complaints, ensuring timely and documented responses.
• Define and lead enterprise quality training strategy, ensuring all employees receive required QMS training and updates.
• Partner with HR and Operations to ensure role‑based competency requirements are defined, assessed, and maintained.
• Analyze trends in quality performance, customer feedback, and risk to drive data‑informed improvements.
• Provide leadership and direction to quality teams, including workforce planning, development, and succession strategies.
• Advise executive leadership on quality risks, opportunities, and strategic initiatives.

Provide leadership to enterprise quality personnel and the Quality Committee, including quality representatives across practices and services lines. Responsible for team development, performance management, and succession planning.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in quality assurance/quality control within engineering, construction materials testing, or infrastructure services.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise QA/QC or QMS programs.
• Strong knowledge of ISO, AASHTO, and relevant regulatory standards.
• Proven leadership experience managing multi‑disciplinary teams.