Senior Quality Systems Lead

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

In this role, we are looking for a dedicated quality support to Viasat’s Satellite Operations ensuring we deliver the extension, retention, and continual improvement of AS9100 certification while maintaining alignment with the wider Viasat Quality Management System (QMS). Acting as both a strategic advisor and hands‑on practitioner, you will embed robust quality principles into regular operations, ensuring compliance with Viasat’s policies, governance frameworks, and regulatory requirements. You will lead quality‑related activities for Satellite Operations, serving as a critical link between local operational teams and Viasat’s central Quality organization. A key focus will be ensuring that processes, controls, metrics, and improvements within Satellite Operations are fully integrated with the enterprise QMS, audit strategy, and continuous improvement initiatives instead of being developed in isolation.

Core responsibilities include driving and coordinating activities around AS9100 certification, such as maintaining audit readiness, supporting alignment with corporate certification scopes, and ensuring consistent application of standards. You will work with interested parties to translate quality requirements into actionable practices that help operations. Additionally, you will proactively identify and address gaps, risks, or compliance issues by implementing corrective and preventive actions aimed at root causes and sustainable outcomes. A prominent part of this role is supporting and leading audits—internal, external, regulatory, and customer‑related. This involves planning, engaging with auditors, coordinating responses, resolving findings, and ensuring corrective actions are completed thoroughly and shared across the organization where beneficial. You will also assist management reviews by providing insights on quality performance, trends, and risks, enhancing decision‑making at operational and enterprise levels. Beyond certification, you will facilitate daily quality initiatives, such as handling nonconformances, supporting root‑cause analysis, driving continuous improvement, maintaining document control, and helping with quality metrics. You will mentor less experienced team members and promote a strong sense of quality and consistency across Satellite Operations.

The day‑to‑day

You will monitor quality metrics, audit actions, and operational risks, calling out significant issues as needed to ensure alignment with Viasat’s governance and enterprise reporting standards. Engage with Satellite Operations leadership, you will guide them in aligning upcoming decisions and changes with quality, risk, and compliance requirements in a practical and efficient manner. Harmonising processes, tools, and metrics to align with Viasat’s enterprise standards, driving efficiency and consistency while reducing duplication. Support training and awareness initiatives to strengthen the overall visibility of quality across the Satellite Operations organisation, ensuring a focus on long‑term operational excellence. Sustain AS9100 compliance for Satellite operations and expand its scope as appropriate.

What you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Quality, Aerospace, Systems Engineering.
• Significant experience working within an AS9100 / ISO 9001–certified quality management system, ideally experienced in the deployment of AS9100 not just its retention & management.
• Experience supporting quality activities in aerospace, satellite operations, defence, aviation, or other high‑reliability regulated environments.
• Strong knowledge of audits, nonconformance management, and resolving underlying problems, corrective and preventive actions, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to apply quality standards pragmatically within operational teams.
• Strong communication, organisation, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Leadership & Development: You can effectively lead, mentor, and develop team members.
• Ambition: You have a strong desire to learn and achieve personal growth.
• Autonomous: You can work independently and effectively.
• Technically Curious: You're able to quickly grasp complex technical topics and information.

What will help you on the job

• Experience acting as a quality lead or focal point for a programme or operational function.
• Hands‑on experience leading internal audits and supporting external certification or customer audits.
• Experience integrating local quality activities into a corporate or enterprise QMS.
• Familiarity with satellite or mission operations environments.
• Professional quality certifications (e.g. IRCA Lead Auditor, CQI) or willingness to obtain them.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic.