Program Quality Lead (Onsite)

Location: Rome, NY (Onsite)

U.S. citizenship is required for this role.

About the Role

As the Senior Program Quality Engineer at Collins Aerospace, you will serve as the primary quality leader for designated customer accounts and high-visibility programs. This role provides technical direction, drives customer-focused quality strategies, and leads cross-functional initiatives to ensure compliance, performance, and continuous improvement. While not responsible for direct people management, you will mentor peers, guide program teams, and influence decision-making across engineering, operations, and program management.

Responsibilities

• Act as the lead quality representative for assigned customers, owning the relationship, communication cadence, issue resolution, and overall quality performance.
• Interpret and flow down complex customer-specific requirements, ensuring they are fully integrated into program documentation, production processes, and supplier expectations.
• Lead major investigations, systemic root cause analyses, and corrective/preventive actions; coordinate cross-functional teams and ensure timely, high-quality responses to customers.
• Partner with Program Management to represent quality in program reviews, risk assessments, and strategic planning activities.
• Monitor and analyze key quality and reliability metrics across assigned programs; proactively identify risk areas, systemic trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert for quality tools, methods, and standards; provide coaching and guidance to program quality engineers and other team members as needed.
• Support and lead major customer audits, readiness reviews, and on-site visits; coordinate internal stakeholders and drive closure of audit findings.

Requirements

• Typically requires a University Degree and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree in a related field and a minimum of 5 years of experience.
• Strong understanding of root cause analysis, corrective action tools, and quality systems (ISO 9001, AS9100 or similar).
• Proven experience in customer-facing quality roles within aerospace, defense, or similarly regulated industries.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills with both internal stakeholders and customers.
• Demonstrated success driving systemic improvements and resolving complex issues.
• Experience with data analysis, capability studies, and using metrics to drive decisions.
• Familiarity with PPAP, AS9102, APQP, or customer-specific requirements.
• Exceptional technical judgment and a proactive, customer-first mindset.
• Strong leadership presence without formal management responsibility.
• Analytical, structured problem-solver with a bias toward action.
• Comfortable handling ambiguity and balancing multiple high-priority programs.
• High accountability and ownership of quality performance.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $107,500 – $204,500 USD.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• 401(k) match.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee Scholar Program.
• Parental leave.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Eligibility for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs (dependent on role level and collective-bargaining agreement status).