Senior Quality Manager

Job description

About the role As Senior Quality Manager at Arkeus, you own the quality management system that stands behind every payload we ship. When a customer accepts a unit into a defence program, it is because your system proved it was built right, tested right and documented right — across hardware, software and everything in between. Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, you will maintain and mature our ISO 9001 certification at our Melbourne site, lead our Gold Coast site through its first ISO 9001 certification, and build the roadmap that takes Arkeus to AS9100D. This is a senior, hands-on individual contributor role. You will lead through influence — working directly with engineers, technicians, suppliers and site leads to make quality part of how Arkeus builds, not a gate at the end. About you You are a quality leader who has built and run a QMS in a technology manufacturing environment, and you know the difference between a system that passes audits and one that actually prevents defects. You have taken a site through ISO 9001 certification, and you understand what AS9100D asks for beyond it — configuration management, product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, first article inspection and risk-based thinking. You are comfortable with products that are equal parts hardware and software. You can follow a nonconformance from a solder joint to a firmware release, and you know how to apply quality discipline to both without slowing either down. You have worked in defence or aerospace, and you understand low-rate, high-mix manufacturing — where every unit matters, volumes are small and processes must be robust without being bureaucratic. You are pragmatic, credible on the shop floor and in the boardroom, and you write things down clearly. You are energised by a high-growth environment where you get to build the quality foundations of a company across two sites, not just maintain them. Key responsibilities Quality Management System: ISO 9001 – Melbourne: Maintain and continually improve ISO 9001 certification at our Port Melbourne site, including surveillance and recertification audits, management review and corrective action closure. ISO 9001 – Gold Coast: Lead our Gold Coast site to its first ISO 9001 certification — gap analysis, process definition, implementation, internal audit and certification body engagement. AS9100D Roadmap: Develop and execute the plan to transition our QMS to AS9100D, including gap analysis, resourcing, timeline and readiness assessment for certification. One QMS, Two Sites: Harmonise processes, documentation and records across Melbourne and the Gold Coast so both sites operate as one system. Audit Program: Plan and run the internal audit program and coordinate external audits by certification bodies and customers. Product Quality — Hardware & Software: Hardware Quality: Define inspection, test and acceptance processes for low-rate electro-optical and electronic assemblies, including first article inspection (AS9102), workmanship standards (e.g. IPC-A-610) and calibration control. Nonconformance & CAPA: Own the nonconformance, root cause and corrective action process — using structured methods such as 8D, 5 Whys and fishbone analysis — and drive actions to verified closure. Configuration & Traceability: Ensure product configuration, change control and traceability are maintained from design through build, test and delivery. Supply Chain & Customer Quality: Supplier Quality: Establish supplier approval, monitoring and development processes, including source inspection and counterfeit parts prevention. Customer Quality: Act as the quality point of contact for defence customers and primes, supporting contract quality requirements, acceptance testing, customer audits and deliverable documentation. Leadership & Culture: Quality Reporting: Define and report quality KPIs to the VP of Manufacturing and leadership team — yield, escapes, NCR trends, supplier performance and audit findings. Quality Culture: Train and coach teams across both sites so quality is owned by everyone who designs, builds and tests our products. Your experience and skills Quality Track Record: 8+ years in quality management or quality engineering, including at least 3 years leading a QMS in a manufacturing environment. ISO 9001 Certification: Proven experience maintaining ISO 9001 certification and leading a site through initial certification. AS9100D: Working knowledge of AS9100D requirements; experience implementing or operating under AS9100 is highly valued. Hardware & Software Products: Experience with products that combine electronic hardware with embedded or application software, including software quality assurance and configuration management. Defence & Aerospace: Experience in defence, aerospace or another regulated, mission-critical industry, including working with defence customers or primes. Low-Rate Manufacturing: Experience in low-rate, high-mix manufacturing, prototype-to-production transition and first article inspection. Auditing (desirable): Lead auditor qualification (e.g. Exemplar Global or IRCA ISO 9001 Lead Auditor) or equivalent experience. Problem Solving: Strong root cause analysis and CAPA skills using structured methods such as 8D, 5 Whys and FMEA. Influence & Communication: Able to lead change without direct authority, and to communicate clearly with engineers, executives, suppliers and auditors. What success looks like In your first 90 days: You have reviewed the Melbourne QMS and the Gold Coast site and presented a gap analysis and certification plan to the VP of Manufacturing. You have built working relationships with Manufacturing, Engineering and Supply Chain leads at both sites, and you understand how our hardware and software products are built, tested and released. You have run at least one internal audit and have a clear, shared view of open nonconformances and corrective actions. In your first year: Melbourne has passed its ISO 9001 surveillance audit with no major findings. The Gold Coast site has achieved ISO 9001 certification or is audit-ready with a certification audit booked. An approved AS9100D transition plan is in place, with gap-closure actions underway at both sites. Quality metrics are reported regularly, and teams across both sites see the QMS as a tool that helps them ship, not paperwork. Why join Arkeus You will work on the hardest problems in deep-tech — optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product. The gap between what you build and where it ends up is almost nonexistent. You will collaborate with exceptional leaders who have decades of combined experience in AI, optics and defence. You will be learning from — and contributing to — the best in the field. You will become part of a close-knit, ego-free team where ideas compete on merit, not seniority. Low politics, high trust. The kind of team you will still be talking about in ten years. You will work hard and be expected to bring your best — and in return you will grow faster than you ever would at a large organisation. You will work on technology that is already deployed in real environments — protecting lives and strengthening security across defence and national security applications. You will receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP). You will have the opportunity to build the quality foundations of a growing defence technology company across two sites, and shape how we scale. If this sounds like you, please apply even if you don't check every box — we care more about how you think than whether your CV is perfect. Join our growing team and help us change the world through autonomous systems. About Arkeus Arkeus builds AI-powered sensing systems that help autonomous platforms detect, track and understand what's happening in the most complex and contested environments. Our technology is deployed across defence and national s ecurity applications — already protecting lives and strengthening security across the U.S. and allied markets. Backed by QIC, Main Sequence, R+VC, Salus Ventures, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, Arkeus is entering a major growth phase. We are a small, fast-moving company with the energy and ambition of a start-up and the technical credibility of a world-class defence technology provider. We work at the intersection of optics, autonomy, robotics and real-time AI and we deploy what we build. If you want to ship technology that matters, not technology that ships decks, this is where you belong. Check it yourself on News | Arkeus We have developed an inclusive, transparent and engaging culture that focuses on building a diverse workforce — realising that to attract the very best, we need to ensure our culture is ready to welcome people from all ages, genders and backgrounds.