Quality Assurance Manager

Location:

Syracuse, United States of America

Thales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning, to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems, to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

Syracuse, NY (Hybrid)

The FAA’s Brand-New Air Traffic Control System and other initiatives related to Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility are fueling the growth of Thales’ Airspace Mobility Solutions team. We are expanding our teams in Arlington, Virginia and Syracuse, New York and seek talented individuals who want to be part of these ambitious initiatives shaping the future of aviation. We are looking for people with a passion for aviation and ready to deliver innovative solutions built to the nation’s highest safety and security standards.

America’s aviation moment is now. Thales has the solutions, experience and expertise to execute now. Come join our journey.

Thales is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager (QAM) responsible for establishing, leading, and sustaining a comprehensive quality management framework that ensures all products, services, and project deliverables meet or exceed internal standards, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for quality assurance activities, including developing and implementing quality policies, processes, and controls across the organization.

In this position, you will partner closely with cross‑functional stakeholders—Engineering, Operations, Program Management, and Supply Chain—to embed quality objectives across the full lifecycle of product development, service delivery, and project execution. You will oversee quality performance metrics, drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions, and proactively identify opportunities for risk reduction and continuous improvement.

As a people leader and quality advocate, you will foster a culture of accountability, compliance, and continuous improvement, ensuring effective communication of quality expectations throughout the organization. Success requires deep expertise in quality assurance principles and methodologies, strong leadership and influencing skills, and a commitment to operational excellence and innovation.

• US - CUI Regulatory Compliance Requirement – Must be a US Person as defined in applicable law.

• Establish and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) by developing, implementing, and continuously improving quality assurance policies, procedures, and standards to ensure compliance with industry regulations, contractual requirements, and internal governance.
• Serve as the primary quality authority and escalation point for product, service, and project‑related quality issues, leading root‑cause analysis, CAPA, and containment activities to protect customer satisfaction and business continuity.
• Define, monitor, and analyze quality performance metrics and KPIs, identifying trends, risks, and improvement opportunities; prepare and present quality reports to leadership with actionable insights and recommendations.
• Provide functional leadership and people management for Quality Assurance staff, including workload planning, coaching, performance management, skills development, and fostering a culture of accountability, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Program/Project Management, and Customer Support to embed quality requirements and risk‑based thinking throughout product development, manufacturing, deployment, and service delivery.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using structured quality methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, risk‑based quality management), ensuring data‑driven,…