CQA Technician

Actalent; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) with match

ESOP program

Company truck for field work

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Technician for Pasadena, CA. The role combines field inspections with office documentation to ensure landfill cells, closures, and gas systems meet design plans and specs.

You will perform daily site inspections, provide oversight for landfill gas systems and construction, and prepare detailed logs and reports. Travel and overtime are expected, with comprehensive benefits and room for growth into senior technician roles.

Qualifications

• 1+ year of technician experience in landfill gas CQA or liner CQA or similar field work.
• 12+ months on active construction sites or engineering field work.
• Hands-on experience in earthwork, inspections, or related field activities.
• Ability to perform soil sampling and QA tasks.
• Experience inspecting construction projects with focus on compliance and documentation.
• HazWoper 40-hour certification or ability to obtain it.
• Familiarity with geosynthetics and inspection/installation on sites.
• Proficient in Word and Excel, including fillable templates for logs.

Responsibilities

• Conduct daily site inspections at landfills and construction sites to verify project requirements.
• Provide oversight for landfill gas systems and cell construction to ensure design adherence.
• Perform CQA activities to confirm compliance with drawings and specs.
• Support landfill gas/remedial system maintenance and monitor field performance.
• Coordinate daily with general contractors to resolve field issues and keep progress.
• Prepare and submit daily written and photographic logs using templates.
• Develop construction documentation reports with field notes and data.
• Review and mark up drawings and reports to validate design accuracy.
• Record field notes including erosion control observations per procedures.
• Collect soil samples and materials for QA and testing as required.
• Assist in training staff in field activities and safety practices.
• Support office operations with data entry and report prep.
• Communicate proactively with project teams and provide field updates.
• Apply earthwork/soils inspection experience to evaluate site conditions and compaction.
• Follow safety protocols and participate in onboarding before site work.

Skills

Landfill CQA

Earthwork inspection

Field inspections

Soil sampling

Documentation

HAZWOPER

Geosynthetics inspection

MS Word/Excel

Reading drawings

Travel flexibility

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Title: Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Technician

Job Description

The Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Technician performs field and office-based quality assurance services for landfill and landfill gas projects across multiple regions. This role focuses on daily site inspections, construction oversight, and documentation to ensure that landfill cells, closures, and gas systems meet design plans, drawings, and technical specifications. The position offers extensive field exposure, significant overtime opportunities, structured training, and a clear path for growth into a higher level engineering technician role, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Responsibilities

• Conduct daily site inspections at landfills and other construction sites to verify compliance with project requirements.

• Provide oversight and inspection engineering support for landfill gas systems and landfill construction, including cell construction and closure activities, to ensure adherence to design plans.

• Perform construction quality assurance (CQA) activities to confirm compliance with drawings, technical specifications, and project standards.

• Support landfill gas or remedial system maintenance and monitoring, documenting field conditions and system performance.

• Coordinate daily with general contractors and subcontractors to clarify requirements, resolve field issues, and maintain project progress.

• Prepare and submit detailed daily written and photographic log reports using standardized templates.

• Develop construction documentation reports as requested, including field notes, summaries, and supporting data.

• Review and mark up drawings, plans, and reports with red lines, notes, and corrections to validate and verify design accuracy.

• Record and update field notes, including geosynthetic installation logs and erosion control observations, in accordance with project procedures.

• Collect and document soil samples and other materials in the field as required for quality assurance and testing.

• Assist in training engineering technicians, associate staff, and staff professionals in field activities, documentation practices, and safety procedures.

• Support office operations when requested, including data entry, report preparation, and coordination of field documentation.

• Communicate proactively with project teams, asking questions, escalating issues, and providing clear updates on field conditions.

• Apply engineering earthwork inspection or soils inspection experience to evaluate site conditions, compaction, and related construction activities.

• Follow all safety protocols and participate in onboarding and safety training prior to working independently on landfill sites.

Essential Skills

• At least 1 year of technician experience in landfill gas CQA or liner CQA, or closely related field work.

• At least 23 years of experience working on active construction sites or in engineering field work.

• Hands‑on experience with construction environments, including earthwork, inspections, or similar field activities.

• Ability to perform soil sampling and related field quality assurance tasks.

• Experience conducting inspections on construction projects with a focus on compliance and documentation.

• Completion of a 40‑hour HAZWOPER (Hazwhopper) certification or ability to obtain and maintain it if required.

• Familiarity with geosynthetics and their inspection or installation on construction projects.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, including use of fillable Excel templates for daily field logs.

• Ability to read, understand, and mark up drawings, plans, and technical documents.

• Strong written communication skills for preparing daily reports, field notes, and construction documentation.

• Strong verbal communication skills to coordinate with contractors, colleagues, and project teams.

• Ability to travel extensively, work 6 days per week for extended rotations, and stay overnight near project sites.

• Capability to work independently in the field as a self‑starter while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• 35 years of experience with geosynthetics inspections is highly preferred.

• Certifications in soils or concrete testing are a strong plus.

• Prior experience as an engineering earthwork inspector, soil inspector, engineering technician, construction materials testing (CMT) technician, or soils technician is highly transferable.

• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Word, PDF tools, and electronic forms for daily field logs and report preparation.

• Ability to perform detailed red‑line markups on drawings and reports, adding notes and corrections based on field observations.

• Familiarity with erosion control measures and the ability to assess their effectiveness in the field.

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to validate and verify the accuracy of designs and field installations.

• Demonstrated initiative and curiosity, with a willingness to ask questions, seek improvements, and go beyond basic assigned tasks.

• Comfort working in a collaborative environment while also taking ownership of individual responsibilities.

• Interest in long‑term career growth into higher level engineering technician roles within a growing firm.

Work Environment

This role is predominantly field‑based with approximately 80% travel and 20% office work. The CQA Technician frequently works at landfill and landfill gas construction sites, performing inspections and quality assurance tasks in outdoor environments and varying weather conditions. The position involves significant regional and multi‑state travel, including overnight stays, with typical rotations of 34 weeks on the road working 6 days per week followed by about a week off. Travel may include regional assignments in states such as AZ, CA, NV, NM, CO, and various East Coast locations. A company vehicle and gas card are provided for field services work, and overnight accommodations are arranged in comfortable hotels, often extended‑stay properties, to support longer assignments. During the first two weeks, the technician spends two days in an office environment for onboarding and safety training, followed by several days of hands‑on training at different landfill sites alongside an experienced CQA technician before moving to an assigned project. The work environment emphasizes safety, thorough training, and mentorship, and it offers extensive overtime opportunities, career advancement potential, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, an employer‑funded employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), a 401(k) with employer match, an annual bonus program, a student debt employer contribution program, paid holidays, paid time off, and the use of a company truck for certain field services positions.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Pasadena, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $21.00 - $27.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job‑related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre‑tax and Roth post‑tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long‑term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Pasadena,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 20, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News‑Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.