Upfit Quality Assurance Specialist

About

 Vanair®, a Lincoln Electric company, has been an industry leader since 1972, working to bring our customers the very best in Mobile Power Solutions®. Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the engineering, design, and manufacturing of advanced arc welding solutions, automated joining, assembly and cutting systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment, and has a leading global position in brazing and soldering alloys. We are recognized as the Welding Expert™, which advance customers’ fabrication capabilities to help them build a better world.

If you like being challenged, want to be a part of something special, and desire being part of an exciting team that is always striving to be at the forefront of our industry, then we’re looking for you – a driven and motivated new team member.

Position Summary

The Upfit Quality Assurance Specialist is responsible for supporting, evaluating, and improving the quality of equipment installations performed by upfitters, dealers, and installation partners. This role helps reduce installation-related failures, improve customer uptime, strengthen installer performance, and protect the customer experience.

This position is part of the Upfit Support & Quality Team, which focuses on installation quality for multi-function machines, engine-driven machines, mobile welders, and related mobile power equipment. The Specialist will inspect installations, document findings, coach installers, support corrective actions, and help build standardized installation checklists, scoring systems, and installer certification processes. The USQT program is designed to strengthen customer confidence through expert evaluation, coaching, and certification.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct installation reviews at upfitter, dealer, service, and customer locations.


• Inspect electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, cooling, mounting, routing, and control system installations.


• Identify installation errors, unsafe practices, workmanship issues, and repeat failure trends.


• Document findings with photos, inspection forms, written notes, and formal reports.


• Provide on-site coaching and technical support to installers and shop personnel.


• Recommend and track corrective actions when installation issues are found.


• Escalate repeat issues, unresolved concerns, or unsafe installation practices.


• Support stop-work actions when serious safety concerns are identified.


• Help develop installation checklists, audit forms, scoring methods, and quality standards.


• Provide feedback to Service, Training, Quality, Engineering, and Factory Install teams.


• Support installer certification, recertification, retraining, and compliance reviews.

Required Qualifications

• Strong technical background in mobile equipment, vehicle upfitting, field service, manufacturing, installation, or quality inspection.


• Working knowledge of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and control systems.


• Ability to read and interpret wiring diagrams, hydraulic schematics, installation instructions, technical manuals, and service documentation.


• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to identify root causes of installation-related issues.


• Ability to communicate clearly with installers, shop leaders, customers, and internal teams.


• Ability to document findings clearly and accurately.


• Valid driver’s license required.


• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with mobile power equipment, compressors, welders, generators, PTO-driven systems, or service trucks.


• Experience working with upfitters, dealers, fleets, utilities, municipalities, or service truck builders.


• Prior field service, warranty, quality, technical training, or installation inspection experience.


• Experience using inspection checklists, audit reports, quality scoring systems, or corrective action processes.


• Technical certifications in electrical, hydraulic, welding, automotive, manufacturing quality, or related areas are a plus.

Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate is technically strong, detail-oriented, professional, and comfortable working directly with technicians and shop leadership. This role requires strong judgment, clear communication, hands-on troubleshooting ability, and the confidence to hold installers accountable while still building productive working relationships.

Travel and Work Environment

This position requires travel to upfitters, dealers, service locations, and customer sites. Work may be performed in shop, manufacturing, service, and field environments. The initial USQT build phase is planned around centralized development of standards, checklists, scoring methods, and pilot audits before expanding into regional alignment.

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by reduced installation-related failures, improved upfitter compliance, lower warranty costs, fewer repeat defects, stronger installer audit scores, timely corrective action completion, and improved customer uptime.