Director of Quality in Saint Paul, Minnesota at American Engineering Testing Inc
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Job Description
About Us
At American Engineering Testing (AET), we believe that people are the heart of innovation. We create an environment that values teamwork, curiosity, and continuous improvement while delivering innovative engineering and consulting solutions. As a 100% employee-owned firm, we deliver comprehensive testing, analysis, and design to reduce uncertainty in construction projects and offer rewarding work, exceptional training, and career development opportunities.
Job Summary
The Director of Quality provides enterprise leadership for AET’s Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring its design, implementation, and continuous improvement across all operations. This role is accountable for maintaining compliance with ISO, AASHTO, and other regulatory requirements; enabling consistent, high quality project delivery; and advancing a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
The Director of Quality serves as the organization’s senior authority on quality, partnering with executive leadership and operations to manage risk, improve performance, and ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the QMS.
Essential Functions:- Establish and lead AET’s enterprise quality strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
- Act as the senior authority on quality across AET, influencing operational standards and client outcomes.
- Provide regular reporting to senior leadership on QMS performance, risks, and improvement opportunities.
- Drive cross-functional alignment and consistency in quality execution across regions and service lines.
- Champion innovation in quality systems, reporting, and tools to enhance efficiency and client satisfaction.
- Oversee the design, maintenance, and effectiveness of the enterprise QMS, including policies, procedures, work instructions and forms.
- Ensure QMS documentation is controlled, current, and aligned with governing standards.
- Promote a company-wide culture of quality, reinforcing accountability and performance improvement at all levels.
- Serve as the executive liaison for external audits, accreditation bodies, and client quality requirements.
- Lead internal audit programs to evaluate adequacy, implementation, and effectiveness of the QMS.
- Oversee nonconforming work processes, including escalation, evaluation, and resolution of quality issues.
- Ensure corrective actions are implemented, monitored, and verified for effectiveness using structured methodologies. Partner with operations, engineering, laboratory and field teams to integrate quality standards into all phases of project delivery.
- Oversee investigation and resolution of internal and external quality-related complaints, ensuring timely and documented responses.
- Define and lead enterprise quality training strategy, ensuring all employees receive required QMS training and updates.
- Partner with HR and Operations to ensure role-based competency requirements are defined, assessed, and maintained.
- Analyze trends in quality performance, customer feedback, and risk to drive data-informed improvements.
- Provide leadership and direction to quality teams, including workforce planning, development, and succession strategies.
- Advise executive leadership on quality risks, opportunities, and strategic initiatives.
Supervisory ResponsibilityProvide leadership to enterprise quality personnel and the Quality Committee, including quality representatives across practices and services lines. Responsible for team development, performance management, and succession planning.Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
- 10+ years of progressive experience in quality assurance/quality control within engineering, construction materials testing, or infrastructure services.
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise QA/QC or QMS programs.
- Strong knowledge of ISO, AASHTO, and relevant regulatory standards.
- Proven leadership experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
Pay Transparency
Base compensation is expected to be in the range of $125,000 - $160,000 annually based on skill set and experience. AET offers a comprehensive salary and benefits package, including year-end incentive bonus, health benefits, insurance, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), long term savings, paid time off, and professional development opportunities. The selected candidate must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. without requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future.
Work EnvironmentThis job primarily operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. This position will occasionally be required to operate in a field environment.Physical DemandsThe physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands or fingers, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. AAP/EEO StatementIt is the policy of AET to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.Other DutiesPlease note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.Reasonable accommodations or workable solutions may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.