The VP, Mission Assurance & Quality (MA&Q) holds the independent oversight authority that ensures every spacecraft is safe, reliable, and qualified before it launches. This role is structurally independent of all other VP organizations - the authority to halt work, reject deliverables, and withhold qualification sign-off cannot be overridden by any VP. Only the CTO can override an MA&Q determination, and that override is documented with the MA&Q position on record regardless of outcome.
Independence is the defining feature of this role. MA&Q does not build hardware, does not own schedule, and does not report to any VP who does. This structural separation is deliberate - quality and safety decisions must never be compromised by production pressure, schedule urgency, or cost targets.
The VP, MA&Q must be willing to halt a production line, delay a gate review, or withhold qualification sign-off when the evidence demands it - and hold that position under pressure from peers and the CTO alike.
What you’ll be doing:
Mission Assurance
- Own the FMEA/FMECA from initial build through qualification -zero unmitigated single-point failures is a CDR entry criterion
- Chair the Failure Review Board (FRB) -convene, lead root cause investigation, assess extent of condition, and close with verified corrective action
- Define mission success criteria and own fault tree analysis
Safety
- Implement and own the system safety program per MIL-STD-882 or program-equivalent standard
- Lead hazard analysis (PHA, SHA) and maintain the hazard tracking log through every gate
- Manage propulsion, battery, high-voltage, and deployment safety; provide range safety interface for launch operations
Quality Assurance
- Exercise independent inspection authority across all program phases
- Hold sole NCR disposition authority -Use-As-Is and Repair require MA&Q concurrence regardless of phase
- Enforce workmanship standards per IPC-A-610 Class 3; conduct process audits and first article inspections
- Issue Standing Disposition Authorizations (SDAs) for recurring Tier 2/3 NCRs; Tier 1 Critical NCRs trigger CTO notification within 4 hours
Reliability Engineering
- Own quantitative reliability model per MIL-HDBK-217 or equivalent; track MTBF/MTTR targets against the constellation availability model
- Lead reliability growth tracking, redundancy analysis, and reliability predictions correlated with test data at QR
Parts Engineering & Radiation
- Maintain the Preferred Parts List (PPL) - sole authority to add or remove parts; no part may fly without PPL approval
- Enforce derating compliance at CDR and manage lot acceptance testing
- Specify the mission radiation environment (TID, SEE, displacement damage) and track radiation margins for all flight parts
Configuration Management
- Chair the production CCB and administer the ECO/ECN process
- Maintain as-built configuration records from the MES; execute FCA and PCA before Phase Close Gate
- Provide as-built conformance report to the CTO
What you bring to this role:
- 15+ years of progressive mission assurance, quality engineering, or reliability engineering on flight programs; at least one spacecraft program carried from system requirements through on-orbit operations
- Demonstrated record of exercising halt/reject authority or withholding qualification sign-off against schedule and cost pressure you must describe a specific instance. This is the most important qualification for the role
- Direct accountability for a flight program's FMEA/FMECA from initial build through qualification, including enforcing zero-unmitigated-SPOF at CDR
- Experience designing, implementing, and running a tiered NCR classification and disposition system at production rate, including Use-As-Is and Repair disposition authority
- Direct experience chairing or co-chairing a spacecraft Qualification Review and making the independent go/no-go determination
- Familiarity with PPL management, derating analysis, lot acceptance testing, and radiation qualification requirements (TID, SEE)
- Demonstrated record of building multi-discipline assurance teams spanning all seven functions
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical Engineering, or related field — or equivalent verifiable experience
Bonus Points for the Following
- Direct experience with constellation programs and fleet-wide conformance reporting
- Familiarity with SAP (Special Access Program) assurance requirements
- Prior experience as CCB chair in a high-rate production environment
- Familiarity with CMMI or AS9100 quality management systems in a space or defense manufacturing environment
- Range safety certification or prior direct range safety interface experience