Senior Director of Supplier Quality
BAE Systems · Nashua, NH
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $200k–$340k
- Travel
- 25%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 8 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at BAE Systems (aerospace & defense) in Nashua, NH. Develop a pipeline of leaders expert in quality science and "Zero Defect" tools to prevent problems from initial sourcing.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Black Belt, Root cause, PPAP, APQP, Supplier quality
- Base pay
- $200k–$340k
- Day to day
- about 25% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in New Hampshire: typical posted base $97k–$165k. This one lists $200k–$340k.
Median of the low and high ends of 19 live postings that list pay, out of 43 quality engineer openings in New Hampshire, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
New Hampshire plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 42 other live quality postings in New Hampshire.
- Base pay
- About 106% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 6+)
Typical $97k–$165k, from 18 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 6+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 81%
- Lean 51%
- Six Sigma 47%
- ✓ Supplier quality 44%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 37%
- AS9100 37%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at BAE Systems
We found 7 people at this company and state: 7 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Joshua → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- The posting says about 25% travel. Between which sites?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: BAE Systems in Nashua
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- Quality Engineer I · Quality
Full description from BAE SystemsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Organizational Leadership: Lead a geographically diverse team of ~300 professionals. Develop a pipeline of leaders expert in quality science and "Zero Defect" tools to prevent problems from initial sourcing.
- ◆Oversight & Model Design: Implement Supply Chain oversight models and strategic commodity plans. Integrate Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP/PPAP) and AS9145 standards within a long-cycle business environment.
- ◆Operational Excellence: Drive robust Root Cause Corrective Actions (RCCA) and mistake-proofing initiatives. Leverage Quality 4.0, IoT, and AI to enable data-driven problem solving and value creation.
- ◆Stakeholder Management: Act as a visible, collaborative leader capable of diffusing high-tension situations and building trust with internal functional organizations, regulatory agencies, and global partner communities.
Required Education, Experience, & Skills
- ✓Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree and 12+ years of supply chain related experience.
- ✓Hybrid Sector Expertise: Significant experience in regulated, demanding industries. Must possess a blend of Commercial and Defense/Aerospace experience to bridge the gap between strict compliance and commercial agility.
- ✓Scale of Leadership: Proven track record of leading large-scale organizations (200+ people) and managing substantial budgets ($30M+).
- ✓Technical Mastery: Demonstrated mastery of Quality Science, strategy, and standards. Proficiency in data analytics and the implementation of APQP/PPAP in a $1B+ manufacturing environment.
- ✓Executive Presence: Ability to influence a wide range of audiences, from shop-floor technicians to C-suite executives and regulatory bodies.
- ✓Compliance: Ability to secure a US DoD secret security clearance and maintain certifications with certifying bodies.
- ✓Willingness to travel up to approximately 25% of the time
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
- ✓Education: MS and/or MBA in Engineering or Technical field highly preferred.
- ✓Certifications: ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Auditor, or CQM/OE; LSS Black Belt.
- ✓Tenure: 15+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Engineering, and Quality, with 5+ years leading a significant Supplier Quality organization.
- ✓Specialized Knowledge: Experience with Quality 4.0 and AI-driven supply chain tools.
- ✓Clearance: Active Secret or higher clearance.
Pay Information
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees sched
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Job Description You don’t see it, but it’s there. Our employees work on the world’s most advanced electronics – from saving emissions in the City of Lights to powering the Mars Rover to protecting the F-35 fighter jet. At AMS, you’ll be among the brightest minds, working on the aerospace and defense industry’s most difficult problems. Drawing strength from our differences, we’re innovating for the future. And you can, too. We put our customers first – exemplified by our missions: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®” and “We Innovate For Those Who Move The World.” Sound like a team you want to be a part of?
Come build your career with BAE Systems. Our flexible work environment provides you a chance to change the world without giving up your personal life. Nashua, NH is an hour northwest of Boston with all the cultural offerings and professional sports team of city life, and less than two hours from skiing and the New Hampshire Seacoast.
Explore Life in New Hampshire | BAE Systems
Role Summary
BAE Systems is seeking a high-impact Senior Leader of Supplier Quality to drive the development and oversight of a high-performing, resilient supply chain. This role is critical to the enterprise in driving quality, affordability, and efficiency. Beyond traditional quality oversight, this leader will act as a strategic catalyst, integrating commercial-sector agility into the defense environment to diversify the supplier base, improve delivery predictability, and instill a rigorous culture of supplier accountability.
Strategic Mandates
- •Commercial-to-Defense Integration: Leverage a deep network of commercial-sector vendors to break reliance on legacy defense suppliers. The candidate must bring "commercial-grade" sourcing knowledge to identify and onboard new, innovative suppliers.
- •Supply Base Resilience: Architect and execute a strategy to build and control a resilient, multi-source supply chain, specifically addressing the challenges of low-cost regions and reducing single-source dependencies.
- •Upstream Quality Influence: Partner with Engineering to vet suppliers earlier in the design phase. Transition the Supplier Quality group from a "checkpoint" to a strategic advisor that helps identify and qualify key new capable suppliers.
- •Rigorous Accountability: Implement a "Commercial Mindset" regarding supplier performance, utilizing pass-through cost models and strict performance metrics to hold partners accountable for Quality, Delivery, and Cost (QDC).
Leadership Profile
- •The ideal candidate is a "Strategic Operator", someone who can design a global supply chain strategy at the enterprise level but is willing to be hands-on in resolving tactical, day-to-day challenges. They should possess the technical credibility of an engineer, the financial acumen of a commercial executive, and the leadership agility to act as a driver, coach, and mentor.
Because this role involves a combination of collaborative/in-person and independent work, it will take the form of a hybrid work format, with time split between working onsite and remotely.