Lead Quality Assurance Specialist (Aerospace) (Direct Hire)

Full Job Description

As the Lead Quality Assurance Specialist in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Exploration Ground Systems Division, Quality Assurance Branch at Kennedy Space Center, you will lead, plan, develop, administer, evaluate, and coordinate a comprehensive quality assurance program supporting assigned aerospace programs and projects.

In this role, you will also lead a team in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload among employees to ensure efficient and timely mission support.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Leading or advising a group or team performing quality assurance oversight/insight activities on a project or program; Coordinating resource management and ensuring the execution of quality assurance programs, requirements, and processes; Performing quality assurance activities such as critical inspections, audits, assessments, surveillance inspections, contract quality assurance, and evaluation of Quality Management Systems on flight hardware or similar programs.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience.

Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses.

Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process. Major Duties:

• Assesses existence, adequacy, compliance, and effectiveness of the support contractor's Quality Management Systems activities.
• Collaborates with quality engineering to establish a feasible quality program and develops assessment processes using tools such as surveillance, sampling, audits, audit checklists, and other methodologies necessary.
• Leads the team in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload among employees; arranges for team member training; monitors and reports on the status and progress of work.
• Evaluates existing Government Quality models for effectiveness and efficiency. Works with quality engineering to modify existing (or develop/implement new) quality models according to risk-based methodologies and program requirements.
• Participates in working groups at the Program, Agency, and other government organizations in the development of aerospace systems, quality assurance guidelines, and Safety and Mission Assurance directives in support of assigned programs and projects.
• Performs Government Mandatory Inspection Points (GMIPs), In-Line Assessments (ILAs), audits, final acceptance of flight hardware, receiving inspections, and review of Acceptance Data Packs.
• Reviews and approves contractors' plans and procedures for compliance with quality assurance requirements, resolves contractors' problems of interpreting and conforming to NASA policies and standards.
• Monitors ongoing operations and assures satisfactory scheduling to support around-the-clock processing of flight hardware. Coordinates with contractors to address technical concerns, nonconformances, and provide process/technical guidance on issues.
• Verifies contractors’ products/services comply with contract requirements, ensuring products are produced per design documentation, drawings, and specifications, while maintaining good working relations with contractor counterparts.