Quality Systems & Assurance Specialist

71be430b-dc40-429b-b662-0246597234e4•Kansas City, MO

2d•$68,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Systems & Assurance Specialist establishes, implements, and sustains practical quality assurance controls for low-volume, high-mix, built-to-order bus and van customization operations. The role works directly on the production floor to define workmanship and acceptance standards; develop inspection methods, checkpoints, and records for varied customer configurations; verify incoming, in-process, and completed work; control nonconforming output; and build an ISO 9001-aligned quality management system. The specialist turns inspection, rework, warranty, and defect data into trends, root-cause findings, corrective actions, and measurable process improvements that support consistency, traceability, safety, and customer satisfaction. This is a developmental role for someone with a solid manufacturing-quality foundation, strong technology aptitude, attention to detail, and the ability to turn information into practical improvements. The specialist collaborates with technicians and cross-functional teams, provides functional quality direction, and may stop or hold nonconforming work within established authority. The position has no direct supervisory responsibilities and reports to the Director of Strategic Operations & Business Excellence. The role is full-time and on-site at Master’s Motors’ vehicle manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Missouri. The schedule is Monday through Friday and may vary based on production needs. Occasional travel, generally less than 10%, may be required for supplier visits, customer issue investigations, training, or audit support. Candidates must reside in the local area and be available for an in-person interview; relocation assistance is not available.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Five or more years of hands-on quality assurance, quality control, inspection, manufacturing, vehicle upfitting, automotive, heavy equipment, fabrication, or closely related experience, including at least three years applying formal manufacturing quality methods.
Demonstrated experience creating and performing in-process and final inspection plans, documenting nonconformances, leading root-cause analysis, and verifying corrective-action effectiveness.
Working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management principles, internal auditing, documented information, process control, risk-based thinking, and continual improvement.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, bills of material, work instructions, customer specifications, wiring or installation documentation, and defined acceptance criteria.
Experience collecting, organizing, and analyzing quality data using spreadsheets, databases, or quality-management software and presenting clear findings.
Ability to use common measuring and test equipment and maintain accurate, traceable inspection records.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet company vehicle-operation requirements.
Candidates must currently reside in the local area and be available for an in-person interview.

Nice To Haves

Associate or bachelor’s degree in quality, engineering technology, manufacturing, industrial technology, automotive technology, or a related field.
ISO 9001 internal auditor or lead auditor training; ASQ Certified Quality Inspector, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Quality Engineer, or comparable credential.
Experience implementing or maturing a quality management system and supporting ISO 9001 certification or surveillance audits.
Experience in bus, van, specialty vehicle, automotive, heavy-equipment, low-volume, high-mix, or custom manufacturing.
Working knowledge of 8D, FMEA, control plans, statistical process control, measurement-system concepts, Lean, or Six Sigma methods.
Experience with electrical, mechanical, fabrication, interior, fit-and-finish, or functional inspection of customized vehicles.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain a practical ISO 9001-aligned quality management system for low-volume, high-mix, built-to-order custom vehicle operations.
Establish workmanship standards, acceptance criteria, inspection plans, control points, checklists, and sign-off requirements for each production stage.
Maintain a visible daily presence on the production floor and perform incoming, first-piece, in-process, final, and layered process inspections.
Inspect built-to-order buses and vans against customer configurations, engineering drawings, bills of material, work instructions, regulatory requirements, and approved standards.
Perform and document visual, dimensional, functional, fit-and-finish, and installation checks using appropriate calibrated tools and test equipment.
Identify, contain, document, and disposition nonconforming materials, workmanship, and completed vehicles; prevent release until requirements are met.
Partner with technicians, production leaders, engineering, purchasing, and service teams to resolve defects at the point of occurrence.
Lead structured root-cause analysis and corrective action, verify effectiveness, and prevent recurrence.
Create and maintain controlled procedures, work instructions, inspection records, nonconformance reports, corrective-action records, audit evidence, and product traceability documentation.
Collect, validate, and analyze quality data, including defect types and locations, first-pass yield, rework, repeat defects, escapes, warranty trends, and corrective-action closure.
Build dashboards and recurring reports to identify trends, process risks, systemic issues, and improvement priorities.
Plan and conduct process and internal QMS audits, document findings, follow actions through closure, and support external customer or certification audits.
Maintain inspection-equipment calibration and verification records and ensure measuring devices are suitable, available, and within tolerance.
Train and coach technicians on workmanship standards, inspection methods, defect documentation, and quality procedures; confirm understanding through observations and records.
Participate in new product, configuration, and process reviews to define quality risks, critical characteristics, verification steps, and launch inspection requirements.
Investigate customer complaints, warranty claims, supplier defects, and quality escapes, connecting field issues to production controls and verified corrective action.
Recommend and implement practical improvements that reduce variation, rework, waste, and reliance on final inspection while preserving production flow.
Maintain readiness for applicable ISO 9001 certification activities and stay current on relevant customer, safety, regulatory, and industry quality requirements.