Lead Quality Assurance Engineer

Lead Quality Assurance Engineer

We are seeking a Lead Quality Assurance Engineer to serve as the primary authority for the QA across a new satellite ground system development program supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This senior-level role will lead all quality assurance activities throughout the full system lifecycle—from architecture and design through integration, accreditation, and operational deployment.

Responsibilities include:

• Serve as the Quality Lead for the entire development program, with full responsibility for the program's Quality Assurance strategy and execution.
• Develop, implement, and maintain the Program Quality Management Plan aligned with corporate policies and contractual requirements.
• Lead, mentor, and assign workload to a team of Quality Assurance professionals, monitoring progress and ensuring effective execution of quality activities.
• Establish quality objectives, metrics, and reporting mechanisms to provide program leadership with clear insight into quality performance and risks.
• Drive a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement across the program.
• Ensure quality integration across software development, hardware development, and system integration activities.
• Participate in and oversee all phases of system and software development, including:
• Requirements analysis and traceability
• Architecture and design reviews
• Code and build quality practices
• Verification and validation
• Test readiness and execution
• Documentation and configuration management
• Ensure that all requirements are addressed and verified throughout the development lifecycle.
• Ensure adherence to corporate quality processes, program procedures, and applicable industry standards.
• Lead and conduct process and product evaluations (audits) to ensure compliance with project policies, procedures, and contractual requirements.
• Establish and maintain the program's process assets library, including:
• Process definitions
• Templates
• Standard operating procedures
• Quality artifacts
• Interface with Corporate Quality leadership to ensure alignment with enterprise quality initiatives.
• Establish and monitor quality metrics across the program.
• Analyze quality data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Track, manage, and escalate non-compliance issues and corrective/preventative action plans to closure.
• Lead root cause analysis and lessons learned activities to strengthen program performance.
• Provide regular quality status briefings to program leadership and stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary quality interface with customers and external stakeholders.
• Support technical exchange meetings, design reviews, demonstrations, and program reviews.
• Ensure delivered work products meet contractual quality expectations.
• Provide training and guidance to program staff on quality practices, standards, and best practices.
• Provide quality leadership within Agile and hybrid development environments.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Reviews, and Retrospectives.
• Ensure quality practices are embedded in development workflows and delivery pipelines.

**This position is contingent on contract award.**