Residential QA Specialist

Burch Energy Services Inc.; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan with employer contrib.

Mileage reimbursement for field work

Professional development support

Job summary

Burch Energy Services is a Portland-based, COBID-certified minority-owned clean energy firm specializing in energy efficiency consulting, program implementation, and QA for residential and commercial facilities. The QA Specialist will build and run the QA function end to end, reviewing SOWs, validating energy savings, and conducting field inspections across the Portland metro area.

This hybrid role is approximately 50% desk work and 50% field inspections, with growth opportunities as the program

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of experience providing quality assurance inspections, or equivalent assessments, following BPI 1200 standards for existing home energy efficiency retrofit installations.
• BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) certifications.
• Minimum 3 years of residential energy modeling experience.
• Experience using Snugg Pro or other residential energy modeling software.
• Minimum 3 years performing diagnostic testing on residential homes to BPI 1200 standards (blower door, duct leakage, combustion safety).
• Residence in or near the Portland metro area, or willingness to relocate.
• Demonstrated field experience auditing a minimum of 100 residential homes through a utility, government, or nonprofit energy efficiency program.
• Demonstrated experience with residential retrofit measures: heat pumps, insulation, air sealing, duct systems.

Responsibilities

• Review and approve contractor-submitted Scopes of Work (SOWs) in Snugg Pro or other program modeling software prior to installation, ensuring technical accuracy and program compliance.
• Validate projected energy savings and cost estimates using program cost calculators and modeling tools.
• Assess proposed measure packages against program eligibility and standards.
• Provide actionable feedback to contractors and track revisions to approval.
• Identify patterns in scope deficiencies and escalate systemic issues to program leadership.

Skills

QA inspections

BA-T certification

BA-P certification

Residential energy modeling

Snugg Pro

Field inspections

GoAudits familiarity

Salesforce familiarity

Tools

Snugg Pro

Residential energy modeling software

QA inspection tools

Job description

Burch Energy Services is a Portland-based, COBID-certified minority-owned clean energy firm specializing in energy efficiency consulting, program implementation, and technical quality assurance for residential and commercial facilities. We partner with utilities, community organizations, program administrators, and contractors to deliver real, measurable reductions in energy use and carbon emissions.

We are a growth-stage company with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest energy landscape. Our work spans Energy Trust of Oregon program delivery, building performance analysis, and community-centered retrofit programs that serve underserved and historically disadvantaged households. If you want your technical skills to matter at every level (project, program, and community), you’ll find your place here.

We are also building how energy work gets done next. Our team uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automation every day to move faster, catch more, and put human judgment where it counts most. We expect everyone who joins us to grow with that shift.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Burch Energy was selected as the Quality Assurance Provider (QAP) for the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) Energy Friendly Homes Program. This 3000 house program delivers whole-home retrofits (heat pump systems, insulation, air sealing, and more) to income-qualified homeowners across the Portland metro area. Your job is to make sure every single project is done right.

As QA Specialist, you will build and run the quality assurance function end to end: reviewing contractor Scopes of Work in Snugg Pro or other program modeling software before installation begins, validating projected energy savings and cost estimates, conducting post-installation field inspections, and providing hands‑on feedback that helps contractors continuously improve. This is a hybrid role approximately 50% desk work and 50% field inspections across the Portland metro area.

You will work closely with the program's Central Administrators (CAs), Burch's internal program team, and a network of participating contractors. As the program scales toward 800 homes per year, your QA systems, judgment, and contractor relationships will be a direct driver of program quality and impact.

You will report to the director of residential programs and grow under their mentorship. This role is built to evolve: as the program scales and the tools improve, your responsibilities, your influence, and your pay grow with it. The path leads from QA Specialist toward leading how Burch Energy delivers quality assurance across its programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Quality Assurance Scope Review (Core Function)

• Review and approve contractor-submitted Scopes of Work (SOWs) in Snugg Pro or other program modeling software prior to installation, ensuring technical accuracy and program compliance.
• Validate projected energy savings and cost-effectiveness calculations using program cost calculators and modeling tools.
• Assess proposed measure packages (heat pumps, insulation, air sealing, windows, and more) against program eligibility, efficiency, and critical repair standards.
• Return clear, actionable feedback to contractors on incomplete or non-compliant scopes; track revisions through to approval.
• Identify patterns in scope deficiencies and elevate systemic issues to program leadership for resolution and contractor education.

B. Field QA & Post-Installation Verification

• Conduct final post-installation QA field inspections across Portland metro residential sites to BPI 1200 standards, using standardized and program-specific inspection protocols and software.
• Verify that installed measures match the approved Scope: equipment specifications, installation quality, air sealing completeness, HVAC system airflow/control, duct repairs, and system configuration.
• Perform or oversee diagnostic testing as applicable, including blower door testing, combustion safety, duct leakage testing, and heat pump commissioning checks.
• Document findings accurately and completely in QA reporting systems; communicate required corrective actions to contractors promptly.
• Navigate attics, crawlspaces, and mechanical rooms with professionalism and physical confidence.

C. Contractor Support & Engagement

• Serve as a trusted technical resource for participating contractors, available to answer questions on measure design, installation standards, and program requirements.
• Provide one‑on‑one and group feedback sessions, helping contractors understand deficiencies and improve scope quality over time.
• Build collaborative relationships that raise the floor on installation quality across the program’s contractor network.
• Participate in contractor onboarding and orientation as the program grows.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 3 to 5 years of experience providing quality assurance inspections, or equivalent assessments, following BPI 1200 standards for existing home energy efficiency retrofit installations.
• BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) certifications.
• Minimum 3 years of residential energy modeling experience.
• Experience using, and training others on, Snugg Pro or other residential energy modeling software.
• Minimum 3 years performing diagnostic testing on residential homes to BPI 1200 standards (blower door, duct leakage, combustion safety).
• Reside in or near the Portland metro area, or willing to relocate.
• Demonstrated field experience auditing a minimum of 100 residential homes through a utility, government, or nonprofit energy efficiency program.
• Demonstrated experience with residential retrofit measures: heat pumps (ducted air source and/or ductless mini-split), insulation, air sealing, duct systems, and related equipment.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to evaluate energy savings projections, cost estimates, and technical specifications.
• Experience reviewing, approving, or managing project scopes in a QA or technical oversight capacity.
• Comfortable working independently across both desktop and field environments, and open to coaching as the role grows.
• Valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, and reliable vehicle.
• Physical ability to access crawlspaces, attics, and confined spaces; occasional lifting of 30 to 40 lbs of field equipment.

Preferred

• HERS Rater (energy auditing and building diagnostics).
• Sustainable Homes Professional credential.
• Heat pump commissioning training, PTCS or equivalent.
• Duct sealing and leakage testing training, PTCS or equivalent.
• Home Energy Score (HES) Assessor credential.
• HVAC load calculation and heat pump expertise.
• 3 years of new home residential construction scope review or quality assurance experience.
• Experience with GoAudits, Salesforce, or similar inspection/CRM platforms.
• Hands‑on experience using AI assistants or workflow automation in a technical, inspection, or field setting.
• Familiarity with PCEF, Energy Trust of Oregon, or Oregon‑based residential energy programs.
• Experience delivering technical training or mentoring to installation trades.
• Spanish speaker. Many households we serve speak Spanish, and proficiency in other languages is also a meaningful plus.

WHO YOU ARE

You believe that energy-efficient homes should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford premium retrofits, and you want your technical skills to be the mechanism that makes that happen at scale. You take quality seriously, not because someone is watching, but because you understand that a heat pump installed correctly in January means a warmer family and a lower bill for the next twenty years.

You also see where this industry is going. The best quality assurance professionals of the next decade will pair field credibility with the tools that multiply it, and you want to be one of them.

You are likely to thrive in this role if you:

• Bring structure and rigor to your review process without losing sight of the practical realities contractors face on the job.
• Communicate technical feedback in a way that educates rather than frustrates, building trust with trades, not creating adversarial dynamics.
• Are equally at home in an energy model as you are in a crawlspace checking for air sealing completeness.
• Approach complexity with curiosity: when you see a system behaving oddly, you want to understand why.
• Notice a repeated task and ask how a tool could do it faster and better, and you enjoy learning new technology as it changes.
• Are deeply organized; you are comfortable managing a pipeline of 10+ active project reviews without letting things slip.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary: $70,000 to $84,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications. As your skills and the efficiency you bring to the program grow, your compensation grows with them.

Benefits include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off plus paid holidays.
• Retirement plan with employer contribution.
• Mileage reimbursement for field work.
• Professional development support (certifications, training, continuing education, and hands‑on training in AI and digital tools).