Senior QA Manager: Lead Practical Quality Across Projects

National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent paid time off

Health plans (medical, dental, vision)

Retirement benefit

Job summary

National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, VA, seeks an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead QA across projects. This role blends hands-on QA, coaching, and audits to implement practical, tailored QA plans aligned with project risk and objectives.

You will establish gates, metrics, and reporting, drive corrective actions, and promote a culture of quality from design through delivery. Travel up to 25% may be required; a bachelor's degree in engineering and 8+ years QA

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of QA/quality management, project delivery, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing QA processes, frameworks, standards, and procedures.
• Strong ability to create project-specific QA plans, not just generic processes.
• Proven ability to work with project teams providing practical QA support.
• Experience conducting process/project audits and driving corrective actions.
• Strong understanding of lifecycle, risk, quality controls, testing and continuous improvement.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to distinguish real risks from admin issues.
• Strong communication to influence teams and leadership.
• Clear written/verbal communication of QA status to project, facility, and observatory leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and improve organization-wide QA processes, standards, and guidelines.
• Collaborate with systems engineers and project teams to tailor QA plans for each project.
• Assess risks, timelines, and delivery approaches to determine QA strategy.
• Provide hands-on QA support on high-risk initiatives.
• Coach project teams on QA practices, testing, and documentation.
• Establish quality gates, metrics, and acceptance criteria.
• Conduct independent QA audits to verify adherence to plans.
• Identify gaps and drive corrective actions with project teams.
• Report QA status, trends, and risks to management.
• Promote a culture where quality is built into delivery from the start.

Skills

QA leadership

Project management

Audits

Quality systems

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, VA, seeks an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead QA across projects. This role blends hands-on QA, coaching, and audits to implement practical, tailored QA plans aligned with project risk and objectives.

You will establish gates, metrics, and reporting, drive corrective actions, and promote a culture of quality from design through delivery. Travel up to 25% may be required; a bachelor's degree in engineering and 8+ years QA