Full Time First Article Inspector Jobs in Austin, TX

We are a 30-person AS9100 Certified commercial power supply manufacturer for the aerospace and defense market looking for a strategic, hands-on Quality Assurance Manager to succeed our retiring leader. In our high-accountability business model, we manage the design, material purchase, kitting, and final assembly/test, while leveraging external Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) partners for PCBA fabrication and assembly, as well as machine and sheet metal shops for enclosures.
The ideal candidate will manage a team of two inspectors, act as the primary quality interface for defense prime contractors, oversee a rigorous supplier quality program, and bridge the gap between design engineering and manufacturing test yields.

•    QMS Culture, Training & Documentation: Act as the primary champion for the Quality Management System. Responsible for designing and delivering AS9100 QMS awareness training across the entire 30-person organization. Author, update, and develop new standard operating procedures as appropriate to reflect process improvements, changes in standards, and to reflect new ERP system processes. 
•    Customer Scorecard & Performance Management: Monitor and analyze all Defense Prime Contractor quality and delivery scorecards. Proactively protest, dispute, and resolve erroneous or unfair metrics with customer quality representatives to protect the company's rating and secure future business.
•    Calibration Program Management: Oversee, maintain, and enforce the facility-wide equipment calibration program (AS9100 Clause 7.1.5). Ensure all testing equipment, torque drivers, and inspection tools are tracked, calibrated on schedule, and traceable to national standards (NIST).
•    Supplier Quality & Risk Management: Manage external EMS partners, printed circuit board shops, and precision machine shops. Conduct rigorous on-site supplier audits to ensure compliance with AS9100 and technical build packages. Monitor supplier end of life emails and interface with engineering and customers as required to identify and document replacements.
•    Design & Test Assurance: Partner with engineering to optimize the design verification process. Establish robust test yield monitoring systems to identify trends, driving design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) improvements. Oversee both internal and customer funded AS9100 First Article Inspection Reports.
•    Regulatory & Contract Review: Review, understand, and flow down Defense Prime Contractor quality notes, customer RFQs and purchase orders, DPAS ratings, and FAR/DFAR clauses (including counterfeit parts prevention and specialty metals). Interface with legal team as appropriate to ensure compliance.
•    Hands-On Leadership: Oversee two inspectors. Manage final acceptance workflows, including critical review of CCAs, J-STD-001/IPC-A-610 Class 3 workmanship, RTV staking, conformal coating, and final box-build testing.
•    Continuous Improvement: Champion an organizational culture targeting 100% On-Time Delivery (OTD) and zero defects through elite root cause analysis and corrective actions (8D, 5-Why). 

•    Experience: 7+ years of Quality Engineering/Management experience within the Aerospace & Defense industry.
•    Standards: Deep working knowledge of AS9100 Rev D, IPC-A-610 Class 3, and J-STD-001.
•    Regulatory: Confirmed understanding of DPAS ratings (DX/DO), FAR/DFAR clauses, and Prime contractor quality requirement flow-downs.
•    Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred Qualifications
•    AS9100 Lead Auditor Certification (e.g., Probitas, IRCA, ASQ) or extensive experience conducting third-party/supplier QMS audits.
•    Background in electrical engineering, PCBA manufacturing processes, and testing high-reliability electronics.
•    Experience with AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI) software systems such as Net-Inspect

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Vicor is an EO employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability

Salary:

$105,000 - $130,000

Please note: This range is based on our current market driven pay structures. Individual salaries are determined based upon a variety of factors including but not limited to, a candidates overall qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience as well as company internal equity.