Job Description

Posting Title

Professional IV-Quality Assurance

Location

CO - Boulder

Position Type

Regular

Hours Per Week

40

Working at NLR

NLR’s 305-acre Flatirons Campus is the nation’s premier wind energy, water power, and grid integration research facility. Nestled south of Boulder, Colorado, and north of NLR’s main South Table Mountain campus, Flatirons Campus sits adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and countless acres of open space and parks with stunning views of the Flatirons rock formations.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

As a member of the ESHQ Office facilitate and provide QA/QC oversight for field implementation of NLR’s Construction Quality Management program and other relevant programs and procedures in Site Operations:

• Develop a comprehensive working knowledge and understanding of contract documents including plans, specifications, and applicable code(s).
• Review and provide feedback on project-specific QA/QC plans with scopes of work and work procedures.
• Develop engineering procedures, including document control, submissions management, tracking of Request for Information (RFIs), material samples, testing schedules, and open punch list items.
• Implement project-specific QA/QC Plan in coordination with project safety plan.
• Always ensure strict adherence to ethics and compliance requirements.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with Site Operations, architects, consultants, subcontractors, and vendors to ensure that the project-specific QA/QC Plan delivers a fully compliant project.
• Understand project execution plans and coordinate Quality Control procedures at appropriate stages of the work and in line with the project schedule.
• Continually improve strategies and tools to effectively and efficiently document, track, and record compliance with contract documents.
• Execute the project-specific QA/QC Plan in a manner that engages all involved staff, subcontractors, vendors, and consultants.
• Facilitate inspections with third-party testing and inspections. Analyze and report the results.
• Oversight of the development and tracking of punch lists.
• Track removal and replacement of non-compliant materials and/or workmanship. Document compliance after corrective work is completed prior to starting any subsequent work.
• Research and apply additional Quality Control and Lean procedures to enhance the quality of project delivery.
• Oversight of project close-out and quality reports.
• Support assigned organizations in monitoring, assessing, trending and reporting on management systems data.
• Attend Plan of the week meetings and other essential meetings for assigned organizations. Participate in ESHQ assessments and readiness verifications for new or modified projects to ensure NLR’s Quality Management program is integrated into those activities. Collaborate with staff and management within ESHQ and Site Operations as required to plan and implement proposed projects and activities.
• Monitor and trend data for incidents, assessment and inspection findings, maintenance and calibration of critical equipment, concerns, etc.
• Plan, perform and coordinate assessments (e.g., ISO assessment, DOE surveillances, self-assessments, observational monitoring, etc.).
• Serve on teams to provide guidance and/or lead the development of corrective actions and causal analysis processes resulting from event investigations and assessments.
• Serve primary role for managing, verifying and performing effectiveness reviews for corrective actions.
• Measuring & Test Equipment (M&TE) – Identify measuring and test equipment and associated calibration requirements, establish calibration protocols, establish calibration standards, and track M&TE status.
• Best Practices/Lessons Learned (LL) – Identify, develop, and disseminate best practices and LL. Coordinate with the NLR LL point of contact for the DOE complex database to submit LL for internal and DOE-wide dissemination.
• Quality training – develop and/or provide quality-related training to facility operations staff.
• ESHQ Inspections – participate in inspections with ESH and operations management/staff. Work with staff and management to identify, investigate, and resolve inspection issue trends.
• Configuration Management – Support Site Operations in implementing facility configuration management/change control processes. Monitor processes for effectiveness, reliability, and efficiency.
• Maintenance Management – Assist in the implementation of facility maintenance management processes, as appropriate.
• Input into lab-wide system development and improvement – provide input into lab-wide quality related process development, implementation, and improvement activities. Review draft lab-level policies, procedures and forms as requested.
• Provide quality assurance for Integrated Safety and Management and Environmental Management Systems via representative sampling of the implementation of the supporting programs and procedures.
• Review and verify training and qualification records for staff and subcontractors.
• Support special projects and initiatives led by the ESHQ Office.

Basic Qualifications

Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 9 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 7 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant PhD and 4 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant JD and 4 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Applies extensive technical expertise, and has full knowledge of other related disciplines. Contributes to the development of new concepts, techniques and standards. Considered internal subject matter expert. Extensive knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field. Excellent leadership, project management and problem solving skills. Ability to use various computer software programs.

• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Knowledge of the construction process, means and methods, and materials, their characteristics, installation procedures and tolerances. Very strong written and verbal communication skills are required. Applies extensive technical expertise and has full knowledge of other related disciplines. Contributes to the development of new concepts, techniques and standards. Considered internal subject matter expert.

Extensive knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field. Excellent leadership, project management and problem solving skills. Ability to use various computer software programs.

*Additional Required Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Trade experience in new construction is preferred.
• Experience with multiple Quality Management Systems desired (e.g., ISO-9001, ISO-14001, ISO-17025, ISO 45001, ANSI-Z1.13, DOE O 414.1, CMMI, etc.).
• Must have the ability to adapt quickly and easily to new and challenging situations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current or previous certifications in quality management (e.g., Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Quality Engineer, Lead Auditor Certification, etc.); and/or certification as a Project Management Professional.
• Proven experience and knowledge of DOE policies and regulations, principles, procedures, and practices.
• Experience with formal work planning and control and conduct of research practices. 
• Experience implementing Integrated Safety Management (ISM) best practices.
• Experience working collaboratively with a diverse science and engineering research staff.
• Experience with Procore preferred.
• OSHA 30 hour certification.

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Professional IV / Annual Salary Range: $100,400 - $180,700

NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

• Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NLR you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

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