Senior Manager, Quality Systems

Vehicle Platform Engineering owns the systems that keep May's fleet safe, reliable, and continuously improving — and we're looking for someone to build the quality backbone underneath all of it. This isn't a traditional audit-and-compliance role: it's a systems-building one. You'll lead a small, high performing team to design, automate, and continuously evolve a flexible Quality Management System (QMS) that spans the full vehicle platform lifecycle — from design controls and engineering change management, through integration and fleet deployment, to field support — closing the loop with continuous improvement at every stage.

We're looking for someone who treats Quality itself as a process to be engineered and automated, not just administered. You're creative and inventive about how quality work gets done, and you're always looking for the emerging tool — AI included — that can turn a manual process into a smarter, faster one. This role sits within Vehicle Platform Engineering.

• →Re-architect and continuously evolve a flexible Quality Management System that syncs with the Safety Management System for Autonomy
• →Build iterative closed-loop continuous improvement processes — root cause analysis, CAPA-style workflows, trend and risk analysis — that connect field issues and fleet data directly back into design and engineering decisions.
• →Stand up design-control practices (design inputs/outputs, verification & validation, design reviews, traceability) sized to manage safety-critical risk without slowing down a fast-moving engineering org.
• →Find the manual, paper-heavy corners of the quality process and automate them with emerging tools — AI/ML, LLM-based tooling, workflow automation — for things like non-conformance triage, audit documentation, and trend detection across the fleet.
• →Partner closely with autonomy, engineering, fleet operations, and technical support to keep the QMS grounded in real field issues, and drive fixes and root causes back through the organization.
• →Define and evolve the quality KPIs/OKRs that measure both platform health and the QMS's own effectiveness.
• →Engage suppliers and partners on quality issues and corrective actions when they touch the vehicle platform.
• →Build and grow a small, high-leverage quality systems function as the need scales, spreading a culture of quality through better tools rather than mandates.

Success in this role typically requires the following competencies:

• Ability to interpret engineering documents, including CAD drawings and wiring diagrams
• Familiarity with ISO/IATF standards
• Knowledge of implementing and maintaining QM systems and its auditing/assessment internal and external
• Experience in moderation techniques
• Advanced knowledge in FMEA, Configuration Management,  System and Document Management Systems
• Ability to inspire, motivate, and guide team members toward achieving common goals.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills to convey ideas, instructions, and feedback clearly and efficiently.
• Strong decision-making skills to analyze situations, evaluate options, and make timely and informed decisions.
• Aptitude for identifying problems, analyzing root causes, and implementing effective solutions.
• Capacity to think strategically, anticipate future trends, and develop long-term plans to drive organizational success.
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances, priorities, and environments.
• Capability to delegate tasks and responsibilities effectively, empowering team members while maintaining accountability.
• Ability to interface with employees at multiple levels throughout the organization

Candidates most successful in this role typically hold the following qualifications or comparable knowledge or experience:

Required

• 5+ years building or leading quality systems in a hardware/software engineering environment — automotive, robotics, aerospace, or another safety-critical field.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field.
• Hands-on experience with design controls, verification & validation, change management, and root cause/CAPA processes.
• A demonstrated builder's mindset — you've built or substantially rebuilt or improved a quality system or process, not just operated inside one someone else designed.
• Comfort leading improvements to take manual work out of quality processes.
• Experience with issue-tracking and workflow tools (e.g., Jira) for traceability across a product lifecycle.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to and influencing stakeholders at every level.

Desirable

• Master's degree in engineering, operations, or a quality-related field.
• Startup or fast-scaling company experience, especially building a function from scratch.
• Working knowledge of ISO/IATF, ISO 26262 (functional safety), or similar frameworks — used to inform pragmatic process design rather than pure paperwork compliance.
• Hands-on experience with AI/LLM tooling or workflow-automation platforms: building internal tools, scripts, or agents that automate quality work.
• Experience with autonomous vehicle systems or other robotics/safety-critical technology.
• ASQ or Lean Six Sigma certification.
  
  

• Standard office working conditions which includes but is not limited to:
• Prolonged sitting
• Prolonged standing
• Prolonged computer use
• Valid U.S. driver's license, ability to pass a driving record check
• Travel required? -  Minimal: 1%-10%