Quality Assurance Specialist

Samaritans, Inc.; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer matched 401(k) plan

Short and long-term disability

Life Insurance - premium paid by Samar

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Healthcare FSA and Childcare DCA

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Family Medical Leave

Vacation and personal time off

14 paid holidays

Hybrid work schedule with remote weeks

Mileage reimbursement

Professional development budget

Job summary

Samaritans, Inc. in Massachusetts is seeking a Quality Assurance Specialist to support the crisis helpline workforce by ensuring the efficiency of Samaritans' QA program across calls and online emotional support.

You will monitor crisis calls and OES conversations to ensure compliance with ICH standards and 988 Lifeline policies. The role emphasizes collaboration with volunteers and staff, data review, documentation accuracy, and ongoing training support.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years of professional experience in a social service or public health setting.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to apply QA criteria consistently.
• Experience with CRM or data systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Complete QA assessments with volunteers and staff per ICH and 988 standards.
• Ensure internal documentation is accurate, timely, and compliant.
• Analyze trends in performance and retention; help create improvement strategies.
• Meet with helpline and text volunteers to discuss QA results.
• Maintain knowledge of ICH and Vibrant best practices for 24/7 helplines.
• Monitor quality and compliance across befriending services provided by staff and volunteers.

Skills

Quality assurance

Attention to detail

Communication

Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Tools

Salesforce

Vibrant Exchange

Job description

About The Position

Under the supervision and direction of the Manager of Quality Planning and Assurance, the Quality Assurance Specialist will support the crisis helpline workforce by ensuring the efficiency of Samaritans' quality assurance program for calls/text on all lines.

This position will assist in monitoring crisis calls and Online Emotional Support (OES) conversations to ensure compliance with International Council for Helplines (ICH) standards and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline policies.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance

• Complete quality assurance assessments with volunteers and staff according to ICH standards and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline requirements
• Ensure all required internal documentation is accurate, timely, and completed according to ICH and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline policies
• Assists the Manager of Quality Planning and Assurance in identifying and analyzing trends in performance and retention and creates strategies to address
• Meeting with Helpline and Text Volunteers around quality assurance assessments
• Maintains current knowledge of ICH and Vibrant best practices for 24/7 helplines

Compliance

• Enters quality assurance assessments in the Vibrant Exchange according to requirements
• Supports compliance of regular silent monitoring, listening to recorded calls for helpline staff, volunteers and interns
• Supports compliance with OES by viewing text transcripts and live viewing of OES conversations
• Ensures best practices are being met for call documentation in electronic data management system
• Monitors the ongoing quality and consistency of befriending services provided by all volunteers and staff
• Identifies and escalates to Manager of Quality Planning and Assurance when staff or volunteers are not complying with policies, procedures, and standards

Training, Feedback, & Performance Support

• Assist in sending performance feedback emails to staff and volunteers
• Identifies staff and volunteer training needs based on quality assessments completed
• Identify and recommend volunteer learning shift mentors and roleplay mentors to the Manager of Quality Planning, & Assurance

Key Qualifications & Characteristics

• Minimum of 1-2 years of professional experience in a social service or public health agency required
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to apply standardized QA criteria consistently and objectively across staff and volunteers
• Adept at identifying patterns, trends, and systemic issues across QA reviews
• Prior quality assurance, quality control, or audit experience preferred
• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality
• Strong administrative and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate, relate and interact effectively with others at all levels both inside and outside the organization
• Adept at interacting with others in person, over the phone, on Zoom, or via email
• Must be highly relational and able to build trusting relationships with volunteers that foster loyalty and commitment to the organization
• Ability to interact and resolve conflict effectively
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively to maximize teamwork across the organization
• Proficiency in Word, Excel and PowerPoint required
• Experience with Salesforce or other Customer Relationships Systems preferred
• Knowledge of the field of suicide and suicide prevention a plus

Special Requirements

• Successful completion of the Befriender Training and completion of a weekly shift on the Helpline for 1 month after completion of training
• Supports Crisis Programs hiring by participating in interviews
• Support and attend Samaritans key fundraising events
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $60K - $68K annually and will be determined based on experience and skill set.

• Employer matched 401(k) Plan (Safe Harbor Match- 100% up to 3%, plus 50% from 3-5%) Short and Long-Term Disability coverage as well as Life Insurance - Premium paid by Samaritans
• Life Insurance coverage on individual employee benefits up to a maximum of $100,000.
• Health (85% of premium covered by Samaritans for individual plan), Dental (90% of premium covered by Samaritans for individual plan) and Vision insurance – 100% paid by employee
• Healthcare FSA and Childcare DCA, Commuter Benefits and Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Family Medical Leave benefits- Premium paid by Samaritans
• Generous Vacation (New hires start with 10 days), Sick (8 days) and Personal Time Off (5 days)
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Hybrid work schedule (2 days required in MA office/week) plus 6 fully remote work weeks
• Mileage Reimbursement: provided for work-related travel to off-site trainings, conferences, and meetings
• Annual $300 professional development budget per employee
• Out of state applicants will be required to relocate to Massachusetts within three months of employment and also work the same hybrid schedule as all employees.

About Samaritans

Samaritans, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based suicide prevention organization that offers free, confidential, and nonjudgmental services to all who need them. Each day, Samaritans answers hundreds of calls and texts through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Hey Sam, a peer mental health support textline for young people. Samaritans also offers support groups for those affected by suicide and training so anyone can learn to help those in crisis.

Since 1974, Samaritans has answered more than 3.5 million calls and texts; educated 200,000 people to prevent suicide; supported 24,000 suicide loss survivors; and trained 6,500 volunteers to provide compassionate support.

Samaritans is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To learn more about Samaritans, please visit: www.samaritanshope.org

Disclaimer: During the course of the interview, we may inquire about sensitive topics, including the applicant's connection to suicide. We approach these questions with the utmost respect and understanding, recognizing the potential emotional impact they may have. Participation in answering such questions is entirely voluntary, and applicants are encouraged to skip any inquiries that they find uncomfortable. The purpose of these questions is solely to gather relevant information for the assessment process, and all responses will be handled with confidentiality and sensitivity. If at any point an applicant feels distressed or uncomfortable, they are encouraged to communicate their concerns to the interviewer or withdraw from answering specific questions.

Salary: $60000 - $68000 per year