Apprentice Quality Inspector I

Barber-Nichols • Arvada, CO

2d • $23 • Onsite

About The Position

Barber-Nichols (BN) is a premier provider of custom turbomachinery solutions serving the Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy industries. Our team consists of industry leaders who collaborate closely with equally accomplished customers to deliver technologies that advance their markets and establish enduring partnerships. At BN, we foster a results-driven environment that values professional growth, rewards achievement, and supports innovation. From designing the blower for NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to engineering critical components for the U.S. Navy’s MK-48 program, BN’s portfolio spans some of the most exciting and impactful projects in the world. For those seeking to contribute to impactful projects alongside a highly skilled team, BN offers an exceptional place to build your career. Position Summary: Barber-Nichols is seeking a motivated candidate to join our Apprentice Quality Inspector I role within the Registered Apprenticeship Program. This program provides a structured pathway to develop foundational and advanced quality inspection skills through a combination of on-the-job learning (OJL) and related instruction (RI), aligned with industry and program standards. Apprentices will gain hands-on experience inspecting components, assemblies, and documentation to ensure compliance with contract specifications, while developing technical competencies through structured training, mentorship, and progressive responsibility. The program includes defined competency development and rotational exposure within quality operations, supporting long-term career growth in advanced manufacturing. This role ensures that no non-conforming product reaches the customer while building the skills necessary for a successful career in quality inspection.

Requirements

• At least 18 years of age
• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Physically capable of performing the essential functions of the occupation with or without reasonable accommodation that will not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of the individual or others.
• Has completed at least 1-2 years of relevant machinist or manufacturing-related coursework through an approved training provider at either Warren Tech or MSU Denver .
• Submit to Drug Testing and background check conducted post selection but pre-employment.
• Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as geometric tolerances and drawing interpretation.
• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability and willingness to abide by set policies and/or safety programs established by BNI, our clients, and/or regulatory agencies which govern our performance and behavior in the normal course of our work while on BNI or the client’s property or job site.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to successfully plan and implement objectives within established timelines and work schedules.
• Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions at both strategic and functional levels.
• Demonstrate behavior consistent with company values.
• Ability to work independently, with minimal direction as a highly motivated self-starter and within a team-oriented culture.
• Must be able to work in the U.S without sponsorship.
• To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Barber-Nichols must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e., current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158.

Responsibilities

• Gather documents, prepare the workstation and ensure that changes have been incorporated prior to inspection. Utilize the drawings and specifications to develop a plan for basic manual inspections. Suggest and incorporate improvements for plans personally developed.
• Evaluate parts to ensure that they meet the specified requirements per the inspection plans. Understand basic inspection plans with mentorship. Complete required documentation on all company product with limited supervision. Identify handling concerns then suggest and implement solutions. Select the appropriate qualification tool needed for the job and verify that it is calibrated and in good working condition. Review inspection technique with mentor prior to inspecting. Competently and safely inspect the part using hand tools in a manner that ensures repeatability and reproducibility of the measurement. Assist a mentor with proper setup and break down of the setups on the CMM safely. Confirm the results with a mentor. Complete the inspection step on the router to properly indicate pass/fail and note the time to ensure the inspection results are traceability to the appropriate inspector. Package the part to ensure the quality of the part and safety to personnel is maintained. Properly tag all non-conforming parts as out of specification and place them in the Material Review Board (MRB) cage. Document the defect/out of specification condition on the Material Review Report (MRR) and submit the report for review and disposition determination, with limited supervision. Sign the disposition identified by MRB on the MRR and properly process the part per the instruction.
• Collaborate with all departments to ensure that information and data transfers effectively to meet customer needs and organizational objectives. Receive continual training from experts inside and outside of the QA department Constructive communicator with internal customers in support of inspections. Collaborate with second shift to communicate shift hand-off information such as safety concerns, process escapes and previous tasks to ensure second shift effectiveness.
• Continuously improve procedures, processes and methods to ensure zero escapes on manual inspections. Identify areas for improvement in process and product relating to safety, quality, delivery and cost and elevates them to the Quality Manager. Suggest department process improvements and assist in implementation, as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees