QA Technician

The Quality Assurance Technician is considered a specialist in their area of quality inspection. This person represents an expert resource to other individuals functioning in the quality department. They are a lead on providing direction to less senior Quality Technicians in the absence of or in conjunction with the Quality Department Supervisor.

The Quality Assurance Technician is responsible for inspecting materials, assemblies, and tooling to ensure their compliance to AFM or customer-provided drawings, templates, and/or specifications. Responsible for the operations associated with but not limited to aerospace and commercial products. Position receives their direction from the Quality Department Supervisor

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Leadership:

Perform lead duties during the course of normal quality inspection duties to include but not limited to: training, providing daily work directions and instructions related to production, drawings, and quality issues. The Quality Assurance Technician II will also perform leadership duties should the Quality Department Supervisor be absent.

Establish and maintain a strong, positive, collaborative relationship with external and internal customers including engineering, production, and management team.

Inspection Support:

Perform in-process & final acceptance inspections on AFM products.

Perform receiving inspection on material received from vendors, verifying material certifications and age control of materials.

Verify materials against AFM and customer specifications for MLI blanket kits; maintain lot traceability as required.

Accurately read and interpret specifications and manufacturing drawings, work instructions, production schedules, and other records and reports.

Maintain equipment calibration system including updating age control and calibration log(s), timely calibration of tools, and ensuring appropriate paperwork related to calibration system is properly received and filed.

Create data packs, AFM Certificate of Conformance forms and other quality records; documenting revisions, and changes/deviations as needed.

Provide quality support to manufacturing by reviewing and approving job sheets and work instructions, establishing mandatory inspection points (MIPs), and attending Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MMRs) and other production-related meetings, as requested from Management or the Quality Department Supervisor.

Establish and maintain a positive, collaborative relationship with government and/or customer source inspectors, and systems auditors in reviewing processes and answering questions pertaining to AFM products.

Support the continuous improvement of AFM’s Quality Management System; including participating in annual quality meetings and participating in internal audits as scheduled and/or assigned.

Safety:

Promote and ensure a clean and safe work environment, including training employees and adhering to Company and governmental policies and regulations.

Identify the need for Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for new materials as necessary.

Maintain regular, dependable attendance.

Will be required to perform other duties as requested, directed or assigned.

Qualification Requirements

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or abilities required and are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive.

Education / Experience:

· High School Diploma or general education degree (GED) required

· Five years’ previous experience in a manufacturing environment is required

· Five years’ experience in manufacturing drawing reading is required

· Three years’ quality assurance or inspection experience is required; recent preferred

· Certified Internal Auditor training and certification required upon hire as appropriate

The following are preferred:

· Some college

· Quality Technician Certification

· Experience working within an ISO9001 or AS9100 Quality Management System

· First Article Inspection experience

· Experience using micrometers, calipers, torque wrenches, and resistance meters

· Experience in a cleanroom setting

· Sewing experience

Special Qualifications:

· Ability to take instructions on detailed activities

· Ability to maintain detailed records

· Self-motivated individual

· Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to effectively lead a diverse group of employees in a manufacturing environment

· Strong organizational and interpersonal skills required

· Excellent working knowledge of safety and environmental practices and regulations, including OSHA compliance

Language Skills and Interpersonal Communication:

· Ability to read and interpret documents including but not limited to; safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals

· Ability to speak effectively before individual employees or groups; and to work in a team setting

· Ability to explain, demonstrate and clarify policies, procedures and standards

· Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently

Mathematical Ability:

· Ability to add and subtract three digit numbers and multiply and divide by up to 1000’s

· Ability to round in all units of measure, use whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals

· Ability to accurately measure using a tape measure, ruler, micrometer, calipers, torque wrenches, and resistance meters

· Ability to accurately use a scale to weigh is required

Reasoning Ability:

· Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists

· Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form

· Ability to apply knowledge learned through training of AFM manufacturing processes including to thoroughly understand how to read and interpret AFM and customer drawings and templates

· Ability to compare, inspect, and judge whether project matches required specifications

· Ability to recognize safety issues and immediately take appropriate corrective action

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, and use hands and/or feet in a repetitive manner, push and pull materials, use head and neck to frequently look down, and simple/light grasping. The employee is occasionally required to twist, kneel, balance, grasp firmly, and use fine finger dexterity.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lifts and/or moves up to 50 pounds, using the assistance from another as required if lifting over 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Occasional use of safety glasses may be required while using chemicals such as adhesives, solvents, compressed air and other eye safety issues. Occasional use of a particulate respirator mask may be required. Occasional use of Tyvek apron, glove or arm covers while using specific fabrics.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts on the cutting and sewing machines.

The noise level in the work environment is usually normal to loud.