Vice President of Safety, Quality, and Compliance

Position Summary

The Vice President of Safety, Quality, and Compliance will serve as the executive authority responsible for leading, establishing, and maintaining King Aerospace's quality management, aviation safety, occupational health, and regulatory compliance programs across all operations. Reporting directly to the COO, this role ensures uncompromised airworthiness, proactive workplace safety practices, and absolute adherence to FAA, DOD, DCMA, and international regulatory standards. The Vice President of Quality, Safety, and Compliance will foster a proactive safety culture (SMS) while driving continuous operational excellence across all maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and ISR modification programs. Ensures King Kulture in the SQC team and builds a team who strives to make a positive difference daily while maintaining the King standard for exceptional conduct and character.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish and champion the strategic vision for quality systems, ensuring strict adherence to AS9100, AS9110, and ISO 9001 standards.
• Oversee quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) protocols across all MRO, modification, and flight operations to ensure airworthiness and zero-defect deliveries.
• Drive root-cause analysis, corrective/preventive action (CAPA) programs, and continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• Champion the company-wide Safety Management System (SMS), promoting a transparent, non-punitive "just culture" for hazard reporting and safety engagement.
• Direct all Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) operations to ensure complete compliance with OSHA, EPA, and state/federal safety standards.
• Lead aircraft mishap, occupational incident, and near-miss investigations, establishing immediate corrective measures and lessons learned.
• Serve as the primary executive liaison to regulatory authorities, including the FAA, DCMA, DOD, and foreign civil aviation authorities.
• Oversee DCMA Instruction 8210.1 compliance and ground/flight risk management protocols for military contract operations.
• Direct internal and external quality audit schedules, regulatory inspections, and customer oversight reviews to ensure total audit readiness.
• Partner with Procurement and Logistics to manage the vendor quality management system, evaluating supplier quality rating systems and auditing critical aviation suppliers.
• Ensure full traceability, counterfeit part prevention, and compliance with AS6174/AS5553 standards across the global supply chain.
• Mentor and lead a high-performing team of Quality Directors, Safety Managers, Inspectors, and Compliance Specialists across domestic and forward-deployed sites.
• Provide clear, data-driven reports on quality metrics, safety KPIs, and compliance risks directly to the Executive Leadership Team.
• Travel regularly to support safety, quality, and compliance engagement efforts and planning. (30% - 40%)
• Perform other related duties based on experience, qualifications, and business needs.

Qualifications

Education / Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Aviation Management, Business, or Quality Management, or a related field preferred.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive leadership experience in aviation quality, safety, and regulatory compliance within MRO, defense contracting, or aerospace manufacturing.
• Proven track record in developing and executing strategies in both government and commercial aviation environments.
• Strong understanding of DCMA Inst 8210.1, FAA Part 145, FAR/DFARS, ITAR, and AS9100/AS9110 standards.

Communication Skills

• Ability to champion a non-punitive "just culture" while enforcing uncompromising standards across global flight and MRO operations.
• Ability to write reports and business correspondence.
• Ability to foster seamless cross-functional collaboration between program management, quality assurance leaders, and site technicians, while maintaining calm, decisive direction.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex audit findings, safety risk assessments, and technical compliance data into clear strategic insights for the Executive Leadership Team.
• Strong diplomatic precision when acting as the primary liaison to regulatory authorities (FAA, DCMA, DOD), firm assertiveness to halt non-compliant operations when necessary, and clear, transparent messaging to guide distributed technical teams through root-cause analyses and continuous improvement initiatives.

Mathematical Skills

• This position requires the ability to apply concepts of basic math and algebra, fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning and Problem-Solving Skills

• This position requires the ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• This position must interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

• Ability and knowledge to use a computer and related technology effectively.

Other Qualifications

• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally in support of safety, quality, and compliance initiatives.
• Active Secret Security Clearance, or ability to obtain and maintain one required.
• FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license strongly preferred.
• ASQ Certified Quality Manager (CMQ/OE) or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred.

Work Environment

• This position is primarily performed in an office environment.
• The work environment typically has a quiet noise level.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this role, the employee may be required to walk, sit, stand, talk or hear, and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee may frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Vision requirements may include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer • FLSA Status: Exempt • Department: Administrative • Location: Home Office