Start by writing down your audit calendar, customer mix and special processes. Then screen for someone who has led AS9100 audits and closed corrective actions with measurable results, and who has owned the special processes you run. Certifications help, but audit history predicts success better.
What does a quality manager do in an AS9100 shop?
The quality manager owns the quality management system and is usually the person auditors and customer quality reps ask for. In most Tier 2–3 suppliers that means:
- Running internal audits and hosting registrar and customer audits
- Leading corrective action and the material review board
- Supplier quality: approving suppliers, handling escapes, flowing down requirements
- First article inspection to AS9102
- Owning Nadcap special processes and the NDT written practice, often through a Level 3
- Managing inspectors, quality engineers and sometimes the calibration lab
What to define before you open the search
- Audit calendar. When are your next registrar, customer and Nadcap audits? A search that starts six weeks before an audit needs someone who can step in fast.
- Customer mix. Commercial, defense or both? Defense work adds flow-downs, source inspection and often ITAR-controlled data.
- Special processes. List the Nadcap checklists you hold. A candidate who has owned heat treat is not automatically ready for NDT.
- Team and reporting line. How many people report to the role, and does it report to the GM or to operations? Quality managers who report to the person they audit tend to leave.
- The transition ahead. AS9100’s next revision, IA9100, is expected in late 2026 with a two-to-three-year transition (Smithers). Your new hire will probably run it.
Must-haves vs. trainable
| Must-have | Trainable or nice to have |
|---|---|
| Led at least one AS9100 registrar or customer audit | A specific ERP or QMS software |
| Closed corrective actions with a measurable result | ASQ CQM/OE or CQE certification |
| Hands-on with the special processes you run | Lead auditor certificate (often earned on the job) |
| Reads drawings and GD&T well enough to settle MRB calls | Experience with your exact product type |
| Has managed inspectors or engineers | Six Sigma belt |
Interview questions that separate candidates
- Walk me through your last audit. What did you prepare, what was found, and how did you close it?
- Tell me about a corrective action you closed. What was the root cause, and what number changed?
- How did you handle your last supplier escape?
- Which special processes have you owned through a Nadcap audit?
- How do you get the floor to follow procedure without becoming the department everyone avoids?
- How would you plan the move from AS9100D to IA9100?
Good answers name dates, findings and numbers. Vague answers about “supporting” audits usually mean the candidate attended rather than led.
Red flags
- Has only worked in ISO 9001 shops, and can’t describe an aerospace-specific requirement
- Can’t name the root cause of a corrective action they claim to have closed
- Describes quality as the department that says no, with no examples of fixing a process
- Short stints at several suppliers around audit dates
What to pay
Pay depends on region, team size and defense exposure. Recent quality manager roles we have recruited for posted $75,000–$85,000 in Tucson, Arizona and $85,000–$110,000 in El Cajon, California (open roles). Offers below the local market are the most common reason a quality search drags.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire an aerospace quality manager?
It depends on location and pay. Gantry aims to deliver three to five screened candidates in about two weeks; the interview and offer stages then depend on your schedule.
Do we need someone with an ASQ certification?
It helps, but audit leadership and closed corrective actions predict success better. Many strong quality managers earned their skills on the job.
Can an ISO 9001 quality manager handle AS9100?
Often, with support. Expect a learning curve on aerospace requirements such as first article inspection, counterfeit-parts controls and special processes.
Should the quality manager report to operations?
Most shops do better when quality reports to the GM or owner, so the person auditing production isn’t managed by production.
Sources
- SAE: AS9102C First Article Inspection Requirements
- Performance Review Institute: the Nadcap program
- Smithers: AS9100 D explained and what comes next