Quality Assurance Specialist (Aerospace).

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston is seeking a Back Shop Lead to provide technical leadership across structural repair, corrosion control, NDI, machining, welding, avionics, electrical, component repair, and ground support equipment.

This senior role directs workload planning, resources, and technical requirements to support inspections, modifications, repairs, production schedules, and missions. You will coordinate with maintenance, quality, engineering, logistics, safety, operations,

Qualifications

• Specialized experience leading aircraft maintenance support shop activities including structural repair, corrosion control, NDI, avionics, electrical, and ground support equipment.
• Plan and coordinate back shop workload, personnel, equipment, facilities, tooling, materials, and technical requirements to support inspections, repairs, and missions.
• Perform or lead QA audits, GMIPs, process surveillance, and product inspections to verify compliance with technical, contractual, safety, and airworthiness requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead back shop activities across multiple disciplines (structural repair, corrosion control, NDI, machining, welding, avionics, electrical, GSE).
• Coordinate workload, resources, and technical needs to support inspections, modifications, repairs, and production schedules.
• Serve as senior technical advisor on maintenance support operations, shop capabilities, and process improvements to enhance safety and aircraft availability.
• Monitor contractor activities for workmanship, technical compliance, production, documentation, tooling, and material control; recommend corrective actions.
• Conduct QA audits and GMIPs; ensure maintenance meets safety and airworthiness requirements.
• Present maintenance status, capabilities, risks, and recommendations to leadership.
• Provide guidance across maintenance, quality, engineering, logistics, safety, and programs to resolve repair and production issues.

Skills

Technical leadership

Maintenance planning

Quality assurance

Nondestructive inspection

Problem solving

Team coordination

Job description

• Serves as Back Shop Lead, providing technical leadership for structural repair, corrosion control, NDI, machining, welding, avionics, electrical, component repair, ground support equipment, and other support shops.
• Leads planning and coordination of back shop workload, personnel, equipment, facilities, tooling, materials, and technical requirements to support aircraft inspections, modifications, repairs, production schedules, and missions.
• Provides technical leadership across maintenance support organizations, coordinating with maintenance, quality, engineering, logistics, safety, operations, contractors, and programs to resolve repair, fabrication, and production issues.
• Evaluates maintenance requirements, technical data, shop capabilities, workload, schedules, resources, and risk to develop work plans, recovery strategies, resource recommendations, and courses of action.
• Monitors contractor maintenance support activities for workmanship, technical compliance, production, documentation, tooling, material control, and schedule performance, and recommends corrective actions.
• Performs and leads QA audits, Government Mandatory Inspection Points (GMIPs), process surveillance, and product inspections to verify maintenance and repair activities meet technical, contractual, safety, and airworthiness requirements.
• Monitors backshops production, workload reviews, technical discussions, and maintenance planning sessions; presents maintenance status, capability, risks, and recommendations to branch and division leadership.
• Serves as senior technical advisor on maintenance support operations, specialized repairs, shop capabilities, workforce, facilities, equipment, quality, compliance, and process improvement to enhance safety and aircraft availability.

Duties

• Serves as Back Shop Lead, providing technical leadership for structural repair, corrosion control, NDI, machining, welding, avionics, electrical, component repair, ground support equipment, and other support shops.
• Leads planning and coordination of back shop workload, personnel, equipment, facilities, tooling, materials, and technical requirements to support aircraft inspections, modifications, repairs, production schedules, and missions.
• Provides technical leadership across maintenance support organizations, coordinating with maintenance, quality, engineering, logistics, safety, operations, contractors, and programs to resolve repair, fabrication, and production issues.
• Evaluates maintenance requirements, technical data, shop capabilities, workload, schedules, resources, and risk to develop work plans, recovery strategies, resource recommendations, and courses of action.
• Monitors contractor maintenance support activities for workmanship, technical compliance, production, documentation, tooling, material control, and schedule performance, and recommends corrective actions.
• Performs and leads QA audits, Government Mandatory Inspection Points (GMIPs), process surveillance, and product inspections to verify maintenance and repair activities meet technical, contractual, safety, and airworthiness requirements.
• Monitors backshops production, workload reviews, technical discussions, and maintenance planning sessions; presents maintenance status, capability, risks, and recommendations to branch and division leadership.
• Serves as senior technical advisor on maintenance support operations, specialized repairs, shop capabilities, workforce, facilities, equipment, quality, compliance, and process improvement to enhance safety and aircraft availability.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• This position may require a one-year probationary period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section**
• Current Federal employees must meet qualifications, time in grade, and 90 days after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.

Qualifications

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-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:

• Leading aircraft maintenance support shop activities involving structural repair, corrosion control, nondestructive inspection, component repair, avionics, electrical, ground support equipment, or other specialized aircraft maintenance functions.
• Planning and coordinating maintenance workloads, personnel, tooling, equipment, materials, facilities, and technical requirements to support aircraft inspections, repairs, modifications, production schedules, and mission requirements.
• Performing or leading quality assurance audits, Government Mandatory Inspection Points, process surveillance, product inspections, and technical compliance reviews of aircraft maintenance, repair, fabrication, or contractor activities.

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.

Please visit

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

If you are applying for a GS-12 or higher level and are a current federal employee, you must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible for this position. To be eligible, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in a position no more than 1 grade lower than the advertised position. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible.)

Note: Time-in-grade requirements also apply to applicants who have held a non-temporary, competitive service GS position in the past year.

If You Have Special Priority Selection Rights Under The Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Or The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), You Must

• Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
• Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. Candidates rated in the 'Best Qualified' category are considered well-qualified. Please see 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for more information.
• Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents'

Qualified NASA term employees who have term conversion eligibility

Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.

Probationary Period

You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government;
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.