Compliance Manager

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices. Leveraging an extensive IP and patent portfolio, the company serves both commercial and government applications, aiming to eliminate connectivity gaps for today’s five billion mobile subscribers and bring broadband to billions who remain unconnected.

Position Summary

We are a fast‑growing, multi‑site aerospace company preparing for our first compliance program. We are seeking an experienced Compliance Manager to design, build, and lead the implementation of a unified Quality Management System (QMS) across all company locations. This foundational, high‑visibility role will architect our certification strategy, harmonize site‑specific practices into one cohesive, audit‑ready quality system, and guide the organization through the initial compliance program. The ideal candidate has taken an organization through AS9100 certification (or led major QMS builds in a regulated manufacturing environment) and wants ownership over shaping quality culture from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end‑to‑end effort to achieve high‑level compliance with corporate processes and procedures.
• Design a single, unified Quality Management System that can be consistently deployed and audited across all company sites.
• Develop the certification roadmap, timeline, and readiness milestones; report progress to executive leadership.
• Conduct gap analyses against AS9100/ISO 9001 requirements at each site and prioritize remediation efforts, determining where alignment to an international body makes sense.
• Work with the Quality organization to reconcile differing site‑level processes, documentation, and quality practices into common, controlled procedures.
• Establish standardized document control, forms, work instructions, and record‑keeping practices company‑wide.
• Partner with site leaders and operations teams to ensure new procedures are practical and adopted.
• Plan and lead internal audits across all sites; track findings through corrective and preventive action (CAPA) to closure.
• Serve as primary point of contact for the external certification body during stage 1/stage 2 audits and surveillance audits.
• Own the nonconformance and CAPA process, driving root‑cause analysis and effectiveness verification around compliance issues.
• Develop and deliver Compliance/QMS training so employees at every site understand and follow new procedures.
• Build a company‑wide culture of quality and compliance, not just a paper system for audit purposes.
• Act as internal subject‑matter expert on aerospace quality requirements.
• Support supplier quality requirements and flow‑down of AS9100 requirements to key suppliers.
• Assist with customer quality audits and represent the company’s quality program to customers as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Aviation/Aerospace, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of quality/compliance experience in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience leading or playing a central role in an organization achieving initial AS9100 or ISO 9001 certification.
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001, and core quality tools (root‑cause analysis, CAPA, FMEA, internal auditing).
• Demonstrated ability to standardize processes across multiple locations or business units.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to train and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly between company sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Lead Auditor (AS9100/ISO 9001), e.g., IRCA or Exemplar Global certification.
• ASQ certification such as Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or Certified Quality Manager (CQM).
• Prior experience in a startup or scaling company where quality infrastructure was built from scratch.
• Familiarity with AS9145 (APQP/PPAP for aerospace), NADCAP requirements, or export control regulations (ITAR/EAR).
• Experience with QMS software/eQMS platforms and document control systems.

What Success Looks Like

• Within 12 months: a unified QMS structure is documented and deployed at all sites, with a clear, board‑approved roadmap to certification.
• Within 18‑24 months: the company successfully passes its internal executive‑level compliance audit.
• Ongoing: a mature internal audit program, low recurring nonconformances, and a company‑wide culture that treats quality as everyone’s responsibility.