Topic: Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) (NIBIN) Opening - Walnut Creek, CA

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives

Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) (NIBIN) Opening

NLT Management Services has an immediate contractor position available to work in The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives Forensic Office NIBIN Branch located in or around Walnut Creek, CA.  If you want to take your Forensic Science skills to the next level in an interesting, exciting, & rewarding career this is the job for you.


The Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) will serve as an on-site advisor to managerial and technical personnel for quality assurance matters at an ATF laboratory location and will serve as a liaison to the Quality Manager. Quality Assurance Specialists will use a variety of administrative, analytical, and technical methods and techniques to aid in ensuring the quality and reliability of laboratory services and to provide support to the Quality Manager, Laboratory Chiefs and laboratory staff. The QAS will engage in a variety of systematic activities designed to prevent nonconforming work and to ensure that the laboratory services provided are acceptable and are performed as intended and in conformance with management system documents and accreditation requirements. The QAS shall have sufficient technical knowledge of accreditation requirements and forensic science in order to be able to serve as a resource to the assigned laboratory. Must possess excellent oral and written communication skills; the ability to set priorities, manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines; and the ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and as a member of a team.

Persons assigned to this labor category will be considered KEY PERSONNEL. Duties of the QAS include, but are not limited to:
1.   Providing technical guidance to laboratory management and technical personnel regarding interpretation of quality standards.
2.   Communicating with Quality Manager and serving as a liaison between the Quality Manager and the assigned laboratory.
3.   Administering, documenting, reporting on, or otherwise supporting specialized areas of responsibility, such as proficiency testing, audits, training and document control.
4.   Assisting Laboratory Chief and Quality Manager in communications with the accrediting body as needed.
5.   Documenting quality assurance activities and maintaining records.
6.   Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:  Requires a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study from an accredited university or college. Relevant fields of study include, but are not limited to, forensic science/criminalistics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and natural and physical sciences. Work experience may be substituted for educational requirements with prior approval from ATF.

Preferred Experience:  Prefer a minimum of two years’ experience in a relevant area. Relevant areas include but are not limited to quality assurance/quality control, forensic examination and analysis or work that provided experiential knowledge of the laboratory accreditation process. Prefer experience with ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories as applied to a forensic testing laboratory.

Functional Area 4 – Quality Assurance Support

The contractor shall provide the necessary personnel to provide on-site support in the area of quality assurance at each of the laboratory locations. Contractor personnel must have sufficient education, experience and expertise to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of quality assurance as it relates to forensic testing laboratories and the accreditation process.

The following knowledge, skills and abilities are not all inclusive, but are indicative of the requirements for the contractor personnel:
a)   The knowledge to provide interpretation of quality assurance and accreditation requirements as they apply to work conducted in the ATF laboratory system.
b)   The ability to communicate effectively with managerial and technical personnel and external entities; the ability to use tact and diplomacy in conveying information; the ability to determine appropriate modes of communication; the ability to write in a clear, concise, and technically accurate manner.
c)   The ability to use Microsoft Office programs including Word and Excel; the ability to use spreadsheets to store, organize and retrieve data related to quality assurance programs.
d)   Organizational skills to allow prioritization, task management and the ability to meet deadlines.
e)   The ability to document activities and to preserve and retrieve records in a well-organized and efficient manner.

General duties are stated below, however, each location may have slightly different needs. The general duties set forth below have been developed to indicate the types of quality support services that may be required.
a)   Serving as liaison between the Quality Manager and personnel at the assigned laboratory
i.   Communicates relevant issues and maintains records; clarifies interpretation of accreditation requirements and management system documents.
ii.   Seeks clarification and/or confirmation from Quality Manager regarding interpretation of requirements and management system documents.
iii.   Ensures that Laboratory Chief is informed of relevant communications and deadlines related to accreditation, proficiency testing, or other quality assurance related matters.

b)   Serving as a technical resource for quality assurance related matters for personnel at the assigned laboratory
i.   Provides guidance on interpretation of accreditation requirements and management system documents.
ii.   Ensures that all site personnel have appropriate training in and understanding of the controlled document system and newly adopted PPG, forms and quality documents.
iii.   Assists laboratory staff in preparing for internal audits

c)   Administering delegated quality assurance programs under the guidance and direction of the Quality Manger
i.   Receives, catalogues and distributes proficiency tests; documents results and related corrective actions and/or correspondence with accrediting body and/or test providers.
ii.   Manages controlled documents through the use of document control software; ensures timely revisions, approvals, publications and notifications of critical controlled documents. Tests, administers or otherwise uses and/or improves document control software and/or a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
iii.   Schedules and coordinates personnel and travel for internal audits; assists in preparation for assigned laboratory’s internal audit; audits laboratory records as part of the internal audit process.
iv.   Efficiently collects, organizes and retrieves quality-related records.

d)   Communicating with external service providers
i.   Drafts correspondence under the direction of Laboratory Chief or Quality Manager for official communications with the accrediting body or other service providers.
ii.   Communicates with proficiency test providers, proficiency review committees, or other service providers as needed to clarify or gather additional information or to provide ATF responses to inquiries.
iii.   Assists in providing logistical support for external audits and/or surveillance visits.

e)   Maintaining quality assurance records for the assigned laboratory.
i.   Ensures that required records are maintained and are in compliance with the accreditation requirements and management system documents.

Other items:

Candidates with a current TS or Secret clearance preferred but not required.

Condition of employment – Candidates MUST be a USA citizen and able to pass a very detailed security background.

NLT Management Services offers very competitive salary and benefits.

Interested candidates should send resumes and cover letter to prod@nltmanagementservices.com SUBJECT: QAS - CA. No phone calls will be accepted.

Compensation
Pay Rate hourly $31.00 depending on qualifications plus $4.02 an hour for health and welfare.

NLT Management Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer - EOE