Field Quality Assurance Specialist

Gauss Management Research & Engineering•Ogden, UT

About The Position

GMRE is seeking a field-focused Field Quality Assurance Specialist to provide independent, risk-based process assurance at customer and operational sites supporting aircraft upgrades, modifications, and installation activities, including F-16 programs when assigned. The role verifies that GMRE personnel follow approved work cards, drawings, technical data, configuration controls, quality requirements, and process controls. It reviews work in progress and production records, checks that required in-process inspections are performed and documented, identifies process drift and recurring risks, and supports corrective action before issues become customer findings. This role provides assurance of GMRE processes and does not replace Government or customer product inspection and acceptance authority. When not deployed, the Specialist supports cross-site trend analysis, audit preparation, corrective-action effectiveness, lessons learned, and selected production quality activities at the home station, including cable and harness assembly operations as workload permits. Safety compliance is incorporated into field quality oversight, including adherence to applicable GMRE, OSHA, customer, installation, Government, and Air Force requirements. Significant travel of approximately 60% is required; travel is risk-based and may increase for new or transitioning sites, customer findings, repeat issues, changed work packages, performance concerns, or corrective-action follow-up. The position may access work areas and records needed for surveillance, observe work without advance notice when permitted, document process findings independently, and escalate significant or systemic deviations. The Specialist may recommend a pause, containment, or additional review when continued work could propagate a process failure, quality escape, or safety risk. The role requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance when required by contract, program, or customer. GMRE is a small veteran-owned company whose mission is to provide high-quality engineering and technical services to help customers grow and succeed. GMRE is an equal opportunity employer. Duties and responsibilities may change or be supplemented as business needs require.

Requirements

Experience in field quality assurance, aircraft maintenance/modification quality, aerospace quality, or comparable regulated operations.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, technical orders and data, work cards, specifications, work instructions, and configuration requirements.
Working knowledge of process surveillance, inspection records, configuration control, traceability, nonconformance control, and corrective-action processes.
Ability to evaluate objective evidence, identify process drift, and make defensible quality determinations based on documented requirements.
Strong written communication and technical documentation skills for findings, observations, audit evidence, and trend reporting.
Ability to work independently at geographically separated customer sites while maintaining professional relationships with technicians, site leadership, program personnel, and customer or Government representatives.
Working knowledge of workplace safety fundamentals and ability to recognize quality and safety compliance issues during field surveillance.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic quality, document-control, or program record systems.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Demonstrated experience evaluating work against technical data, work instructions, configuration requirements, and acceptance criteria.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required by contract, program, or customer.
Ability to work in office, manufacturing, hangar, flight-line, and customer operational environments as required.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and safely access aircraft and active work areas, including bending, crouching, and climbing stairs, ladders, or work platforms as required.
Ability to use computers, inspection tools, and required personal protective equipment.
Ability to hear and speak well enough to communicate with customers and fellow employees.
Willingness and ability to travel approximately 60% to geographically separated customer and installation sites.

Nice To Haves

AS9100D and ISO 9001 quality management system experience.
Aircraft modification, depot, sustainment, or field installation quality experience, particularly with fighter aircraft or F-16 programs.
Internal auditing, Layered Process Audit, Root Cause Analysis, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) experience.
Experience with military technical data, Air Force maintenance or installation environments, or Government quality representatives.
Cable and wire-harness inspection experience; familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620 or equivalent workmanship requirements.
OSHA awareness or training and experience applying customer or Government site safety requirements.
Lean or continuous improvement experience and government contracting experience.
Associate degree, technical degree or certificate, military technical training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five or more years of quality assurance, aircraft maintenance/modification, aerospace manufacturing, military aviation, or closely related experience.
Experience supporting field operations, audits, corrective actions, customer interfaces, or geographically separated sites.
ASQ Certified Quality Inspector (CQI), Certified Quality Technician (CQT), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or equivalent certification.
Lean Six Sigma Yellow or Green Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.
IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification or equivalent cable/harness workmanship qualification, where applicable.
FAA Airframe & Powerplant certificate or relevant military aircraft quality/maintenance qualification, where applicable.
OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour training, where applicable to assigned duties.

Responsibilities

Conduct independent, risk-based quality surveillance across customer and operational sites supporting aircraft upgrades, modifications, and installation activities.
Observe work in progress, on a scheduled or unannounced basis when permitted, to verify alignment with approved work cards, drawings, technical data, procedures, and configuration requirements.
Compare actual work status with work-card sign-offs and verify required inspections, hold points, and quality checks are performed and documented.
Review work packages, inspection records, configuration records, and other objective evidence for completeness, accuracy, traceability, and integrity.
Identify and document inconsistent practices, process drift, recurring discrepancies, and quality risks across field sites, and communicate findings through the Quality organization.
Support customer, Government, and internal quality interfaces while maintaining the distinction between GMRE process assurance and customer or Government product acceptance authority.
Verify corrective actions are implemented and effective; identify repeat or systemic issues requiring escalation.
Transfer lessons learned, effective practices, and quality expectations across sites.
Perform Layered Process Audits, targeted process reviews, and selected internal audits based on risk, performance history, customer findings, site transitions, personnel changes, changed work packages, or recurring issues.
Analyze field quality data, inspection trends, customer findings, improvement logs, nonconformances, and corrective actions to identify emerging risks and improvement opportunities.
Support root cause analysis, containment, corrective action, continual improvement, and effectiveness verification.
Maintain field surveillance tools, criteria, records, metrics, and reporting needed to demonstrate process effectiveness and audit readiness.
Develop cross-site lessons learned, quality communications, and recommendations to improve installation discipline and prevent recurrence.
Verify compliance with applicable GMRE safety requirements, OSHA standards, customer and site rules, and contractual or Government safety requirements during field quality surveillance.
For military aircraft or Government installations, verify compliance with applicable site- and service-specific requirements, including relevant U.S. Air Force standards and technical guidance where contractually applicable.
Identify unsafe conditions, procedural deviations, and quality/safety interactions that could affect personnel, product, or mission performance; elevate them through established channels.
Support documentation, corrective action, and follow-up for safety-related findings, coordinating with designated safety personnel or site leadership when needed.
When not traveling, analyze field quality trends, prepare risk-based site surveillance plans, track findings and corrective actions, and support evaluation of local in-process inspection effectiveness.
Support selected production quality activities for cable/harness assembly and related manufacturing operations, including in-process and final inspection, configuration verification, records review, and audit support as workload permits.
Assist with First Article Inspection, nonconformance documentation, production metrics, process verification, and corrective-action follow-up when assigned.
Support standardization of quality checkpoints, documentation practices, and lessons learned between home-station production and field operations.
Access active work areas, work packages, production records, and objective evidence needed for assigned surveillance; question discrepancies and document process findings objectively.
Escalate significant, recurring, or systemic deviations through the Quality organization and applicable program leadership, and recommend a pause, containment, or additional review when warranted.