Head of Product & Quality Assurance

Are you ready to take your career to new heights? At D-Orbit, we're pioneering the future of space logistics and in-orbit transportation. Established in 2011, our company is leading the way in building profitable and sustainable solutions that unlock the full potential of the final frontier. As part of our team, you’ll work alongside passionate, highly skilled professionals driven by innovation and engineering excellence. Join us in shaping the future of space operations and take your ambition to new heights.

The Head of Product & Quality Assurance is part of the Operational Excellence group which provide specific expertise to the Company and leads the quality of the Institutional and Defense Business Unit (I&D). This role leads the development, implementation, standardization and maintenance of product and quality assurance disciplines across the company and within I&D, driving strategy, competence growth, and continuous improvement throughout the full product lifecycle. He/She will report to the VP Operations and the Head of the I&D Business Unit

The Head of Product & Quality Assurance will be responsible for the development, implementation, standardization and maintenance of product and quality assurance disciplines across the company and the I&D Business Unit, including strategic and future projects. You will carry out training activities about standards, methodologies and tools to guarantee the required competences at Company and Business Units levels.

Responsibilities

• Act as line manager of the product and quality assurance team, including I&D product assurance management team.
• Coordinate the team across assigned Business Units, including the I&D Product Assurance Managers.
• Responsible for recruitment.
• Responsible of competence management, including competence tracking and planning, training of people vs competences.
• Responsible of goals definitions, career growth, yearly appraisal and rewarding process according to company processes and tools.
• Responsible for product and quality assurance KPI definition, monitoring and reporting.
• Responsible for budget definition, control and reporting related to product and quality assurance team and related activities.
• Drive the establishment and the implementation of standards and best practices in the product and quality assurance field according to company and I&D objectives.
• Define, perform and maintain training activities to disseminate product and quality assurance knowledge.
• Responsible for the NCR/findings matrix to optimize issues resolution and non-quality costs across Business Units.
• Work in synergy with Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, PMO and Sales functions.
• Drive continuous improvement activities on product and quality assurance field according to collected feedback and data.
• Drive the identification, evaluation and mitigation of quality-related risks.
• Coordinate the monitoring and reporting activities about subcontractor and supplier quality to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
• Support the implementation of the configuration management system.
• Additional duties may be assigned as needed.

Experience Required:

The Head of PQA has the following experience:

• Experience in leading product and quality assurance topics within Space projects.
• Experience in leading team of highly specialized professionals in the domain covered by the position.
• Experience working within a quality assurance environment.
• Experience with Space Quality Standards (and Space Standards in general), their implementation and of the space industry in general.
• Experience with EN9100 standard.
• Experience working with requirements management tool.

The Head of PQA has the following skills:

• Managing capabilities.
• Ability to drive team growth.
• Ability to set strategic plans and drive related execution.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Capability of working in autonomy as well as in team.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven diplomatic ability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proactive attitude.
• Mentoring capabilities.
• Knowledge of any topics within configuration management, quality auditing or certification is considered a plus.

Education:

Bachelor or higher engineering degree, in any relevant area such as electronic, aerospace or mechanical/materials engineering.

Language:

Full professional proficiency in the English language

Hiring Process

Here's how our hiring process works simple and straightforward:

• Application review : We go through all applications, but we'll only reach out to candidates who closely match what we're looking for. If you don\'t hear from us, it means we\'re not moving forward with your application at this time, but we may consider your profile for more aligned opening in the future!
• First chat: Selected candidates will have an initial meeting with the people team so we can get to know each other and talk through mutual expectations, motivation for change and goals.
• Technical interviews: Next, you'll have one or two technical interviews, focused on your skills and how you approach challenges relevant to the role.
• Offer: If all goes well, we'll send you an offer! Sometimes this stage can take a bit of time, as we like to carefully consider each candidate and make sure the fit with the team is just right.

We do our best to get back to everyone we interview, but sometimes things take longer than we'd like and updates might be a bit slow. If you've got any questions, just reach out to us!

We're excited to get to know you and see if you might be the next person to help us shaping the future of space!

Extra-UE applicants:

This is NOT a full remote job, so, you need VISA to work in Italy. At this time, we can only consider applicants who already have the legal right to work in the country where the role is advertised.

Some activities must be carried out in our facilities, many others are location-independent, and they can be performed effectively even remotely. This is why we don't measure the performance of people by how many hours they spend at the office: we only measure the outcome.

At D-Orbit, diversity and inclusivity are not just values, they are integral to our mission and the way we operate. We are committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are respected, valued, and celebrated for their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, but it also leads to better decision making, innovation, and overall success. We actively strive to build a culture where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and where all voices are heard and valued. We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, supported, and empowered to share their ideas, and where everyone is given equal opportunities to grow and excel. We believe that our differences make us stronger, and we will continue to work diligently to create an inclusive culture at D-Orbit that reflects this belief.