Quality Assurance Manager ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Benefits:

• Career growth to Chief Quality Officer
• Unlimited certification reimbursement
• Applied AI training program
• AD&D Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Holidays
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

JOB TITLE

Quality Assurance Manager (ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Manager)

LOCATION

Phoenix, AZ · On-site · Occasional customer-site or accreditation-body travel

COMPENSATION

$80,000 – $115,000 annualized, depending on ISO/IEC 17025:2017 depth of experience, credentials, and accreditation-body relationships. Full benefits package described below. Exempt.

ABOUT FIELD CALIBRATIONS

Field Calibrations, Inc. is a Phoenix-based, ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited calibration laboratory serving aerospace, defense, manufacturing, energy, and research clients across the United States. We provide precision calibration and repair services on electrical, pressure, temperature, dimensional, torque, mass, and RF/microwave standards, both in our Phoenix lab and at client sites. We are a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) pursuing SBA 8(a) certification, and we operate under a strict Applied AI-augmented quality management system that pairs experienced metrologists with modern data tools.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Quality Assurance Manager is the owner of Field Calibrations' ISO/IEC 17025:2017 quality management system, the Technical Manager designated under § 5.4 of the standard, and the primary interface with our accreditation body during annual assessments. This is the senior quality leadership role in the Company, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer.

The person in this role is responsible for the accreditation, its scope expansion, the corrective and preventive action program, internal auditing, calibration record integrity, and the ongoing training and proficiency validation of the calibration technician workforce. The QA Manager works alongside the Laboratory Manager (technical operations) and directly supervises the Quality Assurance Specialist.

We are a strict fit for this role. We expect a thorough search process and multiple interview rounds. Depth of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 experience, demonstrated accreditation-body relationships, and metrological maturity are non-negotiable.

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

Quality Management System (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 § 8)
• Own the full QMS scope, from quality manual through work instructions
• Chair the Management Review meeting on the schedule required by the standard
• Maintain the risk-management framework required under Clause 8.5
• Author, approve, and maintain quality-system procedures

Accreditation and External Assessments
• Serve as the primary interface with A2LA, ANAB, or other selected accreditation body
• Lead preparation for annual on-site assessments and surveillance visits
• Drive scope expansion decisions in partnership with the COO and Laboratory Manager
• Manage the response and closure of all assessment findings within statutory timeframes

Technical Management (Clause 5.4)
• Serve as the designated Technical Manager or delegate that role to the Laboratory Manager per Company designation
• Approve calibration procedures, uncertainty budgets, and technician sign-off authority
• Own the calibration-standards inventory and its traceability chain to NIST
• Ensure metrological traceability language on certificates is exact and defensible

CAPA, Nonconformance, and Complaint Management (Clauses 8.7, 7.9)
• Own the CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) program
• Establish root-cause analysis, effectiveness verification, and closure protocols
• Serve as the escalation point for customer complaints
• Drive systemic improvements based on trend data

Internal Audit Program (Clause 8.8)
• Design and execute the annual internal audit plan across all disciplines
• Coach the Quality Assurance Specialist in audit technique
• Report audit findings to Company leadership

Technician Training and Proficiency Validation
• Design the technician training and proficiency-testing framework
• Approve technician progression from tier to tier
• Coordinate proficiency testing with external providers

Regulatory Interfaces
• Coordinate with the Company's SBA 8(a) admission process on quality-system disclosures
• Support customer supplier-quality audits
• Respond to Defense Contract Management Agency and Defense Contract Audit Agency inquiries

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required (non-negotiable)
• Bachelor's degree in a physical science, engineering, or metrology discipline; or equivalent hands-on experience of ten (10) years or more in an ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited environment
• Seven (7) or more years of quality management or quality assurance experience in a calibration or measurement laboratory holding ISO/IEC 17025 or a directly comparable standard (ISO 15189, ISO 17020, AS9100 with QMS scope)
• Documented experience serving as a lead auditee or technical author during an A2LA or ANAB assessment
• Working knowledge of ILAC-P14 (metrological traceability), JCGM 100:2008 (Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, or GUM), and NIST calibration hierarchy
• Demonstrated CAPA program leadership with measurable closure and effectiveness verification metrics
• Ability to work independently with executive-level scope and to drive systemic change without micromanagement
• Excellent written communication, especially audit responses and quality-manual drafting

Strongly Preferred
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
• ISO/IEC 17025 Lead Auditor certification (Exemplar Global, IRCA, or comparable)
• Prior experience as a Technical Manager or Quality Manager at a calibration laboratory of comparable or larger scope
• Aerospace or defense industry background (A2LA or ANAB scope; DFARS or FAR Part 45 property control experience)
• Prior participation in a scope expansion or new-discipline accreditation

Preferred
• Military PMEL or TMDE background
• Prior work at Fluke Calibration, Copper State Calibrations, ATS Metrology, Precision Measurements Inc., or comparable Phoenix-area labs
• Applied AI or data-analytics-augmented QMS experience
• Bilingual English/Spanish

WHAT WE OFFER

Compensation
• $95,000 – $130,000 annualized, exempt, based on demonstrated ISO/IEC 17025:2017 depth
• Discretionary annual performance bonus
• Career growth path toward Chief Quality Officer, Chief Technical Officer, or Chief Operating Officer roles

Health Insurance
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) EveryDay PPO plan
• 100% employer-paid employee-only medical premium
• Effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment
• Dependent/family coverage available at employee cost (dental and vision under evaluation for later this year)

Life & AD&D Insurance
• $25,000 basic life and AD&D coverage
• 100% employer-paid

Combined Paid Time Off (accrues from day 1, usable after day 91)
Executive-tier placement available upon hire at the Chief Operating Officer's discretion, per Employee Handbook § 4.1.1(a). Base accrual schedule:
• 10 days per year (0–1 years of service)
• 12 days per year (1–2 years)
• 13 days per year (2–3 years)
• 14 days per year (3–4 years)
• 15 days per year (4–5 years)
• 16 days per year (5–6 years)
• 17 days per year (6–7 years)
• 18 days per year (7–8 years)
• 19 days per year (8–9 years)
• 20 days per year (9–10 years)
• 25 days per year (10+ years)

Combined PTO bank absorbs vacation, sick, and bereavement leave into a single benefit. Materially exceeds Arizona statutory sick-leave minimum under A.R.S. § 23-371. Up to 40 hours of protected sick time carries over year-to-year.

Paid Holidays (11 per year)
• New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (half day), and Christmas Day

Professional Development
• Unlimited employer reimbursement for pre-approved certification courses (ASQ CQA, CMQ/OE, ISO/IEC 17025 Lead Auditor, and other quality credentials)
• Support for A2LA or ANAB Technical Assessor training and accreditation
• Participation in the Field Calibrations Applied AI training program
• Career path toward Chief Quality Officer role

Field Work & Travel
• Company vehicles provided for local customer or accreditation-body travel
• IRS standard mileage reimbursement for personal-vehicle use
• GSA per-diem rates for out-of-locale overnight travel

Culture
• Culture of technical excellence, quality-first decision making, and calm, professional operations
• Direct reporting to the Chief Operating Officer with no layers between you and executive decisions
• Veteran-friendly workplace led by a former military PMEL professional

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your application through our CareerPlug portal. Include:
• Your resume, including specific citations to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 clauses you have owned or authored
• A brief cover statement describing (a) the most recent accreditation assessment you led, (b) a CAPA you personally drove to closure with measurable effectiveness verification, and (c) the scope-expansion event you most recently led
• If applicable, your credential list (ASQ CQA, CMQ/OE, ISO Lead Auditor, A2LA/ANAB Technical Assessor)

Interviews are conducted in person at our Phoenix laboratory. Expect a multi-round process including a technical panel with the Chief Operating Officer and Laboratory Manager.

Field Calibrations, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Field Calibrations is an E-Verify employer, participating pursuant to A.R.S. § 23-214.

Employment is at-will. This posting is not a contract of employment.