Quality Assurance Lead - Career Growth Potential

Job Title: Quality Assurance Lead
Job Type: 100% Onsite ; Contract-to-hire
Location: San Diego, 92126
Schedule: 9/80; Monday - Thursday 7:15 am - 4:45 pm;
Fridays: 7:15 am - 3:45 pm

SUMMARY

The Quality Assurance (QA) Lead assumes a central role in upholding the quality and dependability throughout their lifecycle, from pre-production to post-production phases. Key duties encompass identifying defects, implementing processes or procedures to rectify them, eliminating errors, and conducting root cause analyses. Furthermore, the QA Lead expedites task completion by equipping technicians with the requisite processes and cultivates an environment of innovation and creativity within the team to devise effective solutions to identified issues. Supervising defect resolution processes, the QA Lead ensures tasks are diligently tracked until they are satisfactorily resolved.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure adherence to specified requirements for finished products.
• Analyze and effectively communicate test results.
• Uphold product integrity through rigorous oversight of assembly, rework, functional, and acceptance testing.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product reliability and refine quality assurance processes, practices, and procedures.
• Collaborate in the development and implementation of robust systems to safeguard the quality of parts, raw materials, and finished goods.
• Demonstrate proficiency in reading and interpreting drawings and schematics.
• Maintain compliance with ISO 9001:2015 standards.
• Possess comprehensive knowledge of IPC and ISO standards, including IPC-J-STD-001, IPC-J-STD-004, IPC-J-STD-005, IPC-J-STD-006, IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, IPC-WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-630, IPC-0040, and ISO-9001:2015 policies and procedures.

REQUIRMENTS

• Quality mindset: A deep-rooted commitment to quality and a proactive approach to ensuring product excellence.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Experience in collaborating with other departments such as engineering, production, and supply chain to drive quality improvements across the organization.
• Risk management: Ability to assess and mitigate quality-related risks throughout the product lifecycle, from design and development to manufacturing and distribution.
• Change management: Proficiency in managing change effectively, particularly in implementing new processes, technologies, or quality initiatives.
• Data-driven decision-making: Capability to leverage data and metrics to make informed decisions, monitor quality performance, and drive continuous improvement.
• Training and development: Experience in developing and delivering training programs to enhance the skills and competencies of QA team members and other stakeholders.
• Conflict resolution: Aptitude for resolving conflicts and addressing issues that may arise within the QA team or across departments, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.
• Auditing experience: Experience in conducting internal audits or overseeing external audits to ensure compliance with quality standards and regulations.
• Customer satisfaction: A focus on customer satisfaction and the ability to incorporate customer feedback into quality improvement initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with quality management systems (QMS) software.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis tools and methodologies.
• Experience in regulatory compliance and understanding of relevant industry standards.
• Continuous improvement mindset, with a track record of implementing process enhancements.
• Familiarity with Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Experience in conducting audits and root cause analyses.
• 4+ years of professional experience working as a Quality Assurance/Control Specialist in manufacturing.
• Associates Degree or higher preferred.
• Prefer ISO 9001:2015 Internal or Lead Auditor Certification
• Proficient in MS Office Suite Proficient (Outlook, Word, Excel)
• Current U.S. work authorization.
• Employees for this position must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance

PREFERRED

• Leadership abilities: Ability to lead and motivate a team, delegate tasks effectively, and provide guidance and mentorship to junior team members.
• Project management skills: Experience in managing projects, coordinating tasks, setting priorities, and meeting deadlines.
• Strategic thinking: Capacity to envision long-term quality goals and develop strategies to achieve them, including identifying areas for improvement and implementing process enhancements.
• Problem-solving prowess: Strong analytical skills to identify root causes of issues, propose effective solutions, and drive continuous improvement efforts.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities, requirements, and environments in a dynamic manufacturing setting.
• Technical proficiency: Proficiency in using quality management tools, testing methodologies, and relevant software applications.
• Customer focus: Commitment to understanding customer needs and expectations and ensuring that products meet or exceed those requirements.
• Continuous learning mindset: Eagerness to stay updated on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies related to quality assurance and manufacturing processes.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical requirements outlined herein reflect those necessary for an employee to effectively execute the core responsibilities of this position. Reasonable accommodation can be arranged to facilitate individuals with disabilities in fulfilling these duties. During the course of performing this role, the employee will frequently engage in sitting, standing, walking, lifting objects weighing up to 40 lbs., utilizing hands for manipulation, and communicating verbally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. The candidate will be required to work in assembly and warehouse areas. Some travel may be required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, or military or veteran status. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.