Quality Assistant

Position Summary

The Quality Assistant / QC Inspector provides hands-on quality support on the production floor by performing receiving, in-process, first article, and final inspections; documenting inspection results; identifying and controlling nonconforming material; supporting NCR, CAR, root cause, and corrective action activities; and helping verify that MES products meet drawings, specifications, travelers, purchase orders, customer requirements, military and aerospace specifications, and applicable quality standards before release to the next operation or shipment.

This role supports inspection integrity, product conformity, documentation accuracy, traceability, risk reduction, and prevention of customer escapes in a defense manufacturing environment.

About MES / Industry Context

Marine Electric Systems (MES) designs and manufactures rugged electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical assemblies for U.S. naval, defense, marine, and industrial applications. MES products may include salinity cells, proximity switches, nuclear temperature detection panels, instrument housing, meters, sheet-metal panels, machined components, PC board assemblies, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, and related mission-critical equipment.

Work performed at MES requires strong attention to detail, traceability, workmanship, documentation discipline, product safety awareness, ethical behavior, and compliance with customer, quality, safety, contractual, regulatory, export-control, cybersecurity, and government requirements.

Essential Responsibilities

• Perform receiving, in-process, first article, source, customer witness, and final inspections as assigned.

• Perform First Article Inspection activities and assist with First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs) in accordance with AS9102 when required.

• Inspect machined, fabricated, electrical, electronic, and electro-mechanical components and assemblies using approved inspection methods.

• Perform in-process and final inspections of mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical assemblies using calipers, micrometers, gauges, visual inspection, and other approved tools.

• Verify product conformance to engineering drawings, blueprints, CAD prints, specifications, BOMs, travelers, work instructions, purchase orders, customer requirements, IPC standards when applicable, military specifications, aerospace requirements, and MES quality procedures.

• Conduct sample checks, dimensional checks, visual checks, documentation reviews, continuity checks, functional checks, and workmanship inspections as trained and authorized.

• Perform dimensional inspections using precision measuring equipment, including calipers, micrometers, height gauges, bore gauges, pin gauges, thread gauges, dial indicators, torque measurement equipment, optical comparators when applicable, multimeters when applicable, and CMM when available or required.

• Read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, CAD prints, Bills of Material, travelers, work instructions, military specifications, customer specifications, and inspection requirements.

• Verify material certifications, Certificates of Conformance, test reports, special process certifications, labels, serial numbers, lot numbers, part numbers, revisions, and traceability records.

• Verify calibration status of inspection equipment before use.

• Record inspection results accurately in MES inspection forms, ERP, QMS systems, inspection logs, quality forms, traveler records, and other required documentation.

• Generate inspection reports and maintain complete, accurate, and controlled quality records.

• Identify, tag, segregate, document, and report nonconforming or suspect material to prevent unintended use.

• Initiate and assist in preparing Nonconformance Reports (NCRs), collecting inspection evidence, supporting Corrective Action Requests (CARs), tracking corrective actions, and verifying reworked or repaired items.

• Participate in root cause investigations and corrective action verification activities when required.

• Support receiving inspection, production inspection, final inspection, customer inspection preparation, source inspection, customer witness inspection, internal audits, customer audits, third-party audits, and audit documentation as needed.

• Ensure proper product identification, traceability, preservation, and protection throughout the inspection process.

• Coordinate with operators, team leaders, supervisors, engineering, shipping/receiving, production, and the Quality Assurance Manager or QC Manager to resolve quality concerns.

• Follow and reinforce MES quality, safety, ESD, document-control, calibration, product-preservation, confidentiality, cybersecurity, export-control, visitor-control, and housekeeping requirements.

• Maintain clean and organized inspection areas following 5S principles.

• Comply with all safety requirements, PPE requirements, company policies, and applicable customer or regulatory requirements.

• Support production flow by performing timely inspections without bypassing acceptance requirements.

• Communicate inspection findings clearly so production can correct issues quickly and prevent repeat defects.

• Do not release products with incomplete records, open quality questions, wrong revisions, missing traceability, expired or unverified calibration status, missing certifications, unresolved nonconformances, or unclear acceptance requirements.

• Help supervisors and leads understand recurring workmanship, documentation, inspection, traceability, or process trends.

• Support continual improvement initiatives and contribute to risk identification and mitigation activities.

• Consider human factors that may contribute to errors, escapes, nonconformities, or process weaknesses and report concerns to management.

• The employee is responsible for completing assigned work accurately, safely, and on time according to approved instructions.

• The employee must verify material, documentation, tools, and work status before and during the operation.

• The employee must stop and escalate when requirements are unclear, material is incorrect, quality is questionable, or documentation is incomplete.

• The employee supports leads and supervisors by maintaining accurate records, organized WIP, safe work practices, and clear communication.

• Associate degree required or preferred depending on experience.

• Bachelor's degree or technical degree in quality, manufacturing, engineering technology, electronics, or related field preferred.

• 2+ years of quality inspection, manufacturing, electronics, machining, or defense/aerospace experience preferred.

• Hands-on experience with inspection tools and gauges.

• Knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, ERP quality records, NCRs, and production documentation preferred.

• Ability to work independently on the production floor with strong attention to detail.

• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English for drawings, inspection records, travelers, specifications, NCRs, audit documents, ERP entries, and employee communication.

• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident legally authorized to work in the United States.

• Must be able to provide valid documentation of citizenship or lawful permanent residency during onboarding.

• Some MES programs, customer contracts, controlled technical data, export-controlled work, ITAR-controlled work, or facility access requirements may require U.S. citizenship specifically; eligibility will be confirmed during hiring and assignment.

• Must comply with company confidentiality, export-control, information-security, quality, safety, and visitor-control requirements.

• Inspection.

• Documentation accuracy.

• Blueprint reading.

• GD&T interpretation.

• Precision measurement.

• Nonconformance control.

• Corrective action support.

• Root cause support.

• Traceability.

• Calibration awareness.

• Product preservation.

• Attention to detail.

• Communication.

• Analytical thinking.

• Quality mindset.

• Ethical behavior.

• Product safety awareness.

• Risk identification and escalation.

• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident required. Candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must provide acceptable documentation during onboarding.

• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English well enough to follow safety rules, drawings, travelers, BOMs, work instructions, quality records, ERP entries, customer requirements, and internal communications.

• Must comply with MES safety, quality, confidentiality, export-control, cybersecurity, visitor-control, documentation, and housekeeping requirements.

• Must protect controlled technical data, customer information, employee information, product records, and MES proprietary information as applicable to the role.

• Employment, program access, and assignment may be subject to customer, contract, ITAR/export-control, CMMC/security, background, and facility-access requirements.

Production Management Responsibilities

• Support production flow by performing timely inspections without bypassing acceptance requirements.

• Communicate inspection findings clearly so production can correct issues quickly and prevent repeat defects.

• Do not release products with incomplete records, open quality questions, wrong revisions, missing traceability, expired or unverified calibration status, missing certifications, unresolved nonconformances, or unclear acceptance requirements.

• Help supervisors and leads understand recurring workmanship, documentation, inspection, traceability, or process trends.

• Support continual improvement initiatives and contribute to risk identification and mitigation activities.

• Consider human factors that may contribute to errors, escapes, nonconformities, or process weaknesses and report concerns to management.

Employee, Lead, and Supervisor Accountability

• The employee is responsible for completing assigned work accurately, safely, and on time according to approved instructions.

• The employee must verify material, documentation, tools, and work status before and during the operation.

• The employee must stop and escalate when requirements are unclear, material is incorrect, quality is questionable, or documentation is incomplete.

• The employee supports leads and supervisors by maintaining accurate records, organized WIP, safe work practices, and clear communication.

Required Education

• Associate degree required or preferred depending on experience.

• Bachelor's degree or technical degree in quality, manufacturing, engineering technology, electronics, or related field preferred.

Required Experience and Technical Skills

• 2+ years of quality inspection, manufacturing, electronics, machining, or defense/aerospace experience preferred.

• Hands-on experience with inspection tools and gauges.

• Knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, ERP quality records, NCRs, and production documentation preferred.

• Ability to work independently on the production floor with strong attention to detail.

English Language Requirement

• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English for drawings, inspection records, travelers, specifications, NCRs, audit documents, ERP entries, and employee communication.

Citizenship / Legal Work Authorization Requirement

• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident legally authorized to work in the United States.

• Must be able to provide valid documentation of citizenship or lawful permanent residency during onboarding.

• Some MES programs, customer contracts, controlled technical data, export-controlled work, ITAR-controlled work, or facility access requirements may require U.S. citizenship specifically; eligibility will be confirmed during hiring and assignment.

• Must comply with company confidentiality, export-control, information-security, quality, safety, and visitor-control requirements.

Key Competencies

• Inspection.

• Documentation accuracy.

• Blueprint reading.

• GD&T interpretation.

• Precision measurement.

• Nonconformance control.

• Corrective action support.

• Root cause support.

• Traceability.

• Calibration awareness.

• Product preservation.

• Attention to detail.

• Communication.

• Analytical thinking.

• Quality mindset.

• Ethical behavior.

• Product safety awareness.

• Risk identification and escalation.

Work Environment

This position operates in a defense manufacturing environment that may include production floor activity, bench assembly, machine shop activity, shipping/receiving areas, engineering/test areas, quality inspection areas, office work, and cross-functional interaction.

The work environment may include exposure to machinery, electrical assemblies, production operations, precision inspection equipment, documentation systems, customer or Government property, and controlled technical data. Personal Protective Equipment must be used as required. Employees must follow all MES safety, quality, documentation, confidentiality, export-control, cybersecurity, visitor-control, product-preservation, calibration, and housekeeping requirements.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform this job. The employee is regularly required to sit and/or stand at a bench, inspection area, or production workstation; use hands and fingers for small-part handling, soldering, crimping, measuring, wiring, inspection, documentation, testing, and operation of precision measuring equipment; and communicate in English.

The employee may be required to frequently stand and walk throughout the workday, reach with hands and arms, bend, stoop, climb stairs, and occasionally lift or move up to 40 pounds. The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds with assistance when needed. Manual dexterity is required to operate precision measuring equipment and inspect fine details.

Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, peripheral vision, color and marking recognition when applicable, and the ability to adjust focus for inspection, wiring, labels, drawings, screens, and small components.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, where such accommodation does not create undue hardship or conflict with safety, quality, customer, contractual, or regulatory requirements.

Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, physical demands, or working conditions associated with the position. MES may revise this job description at any time. Management reserves the right to assign, reassign, remove, or modify duties and responsibilities as business needs, customer requirements, production priorities, quality requirements, safety requirements, or regulatory obligations change.