Quality Assurance Lead

Pittsburgh, PA
Full Time
Experienced
 

Company Overview

Near Earth Autonomy is creating a future where autonomous flight is commonplace and safe.  Our technology enables aircraft ranging in scale from drones to helicopters to fly autonomously for logistics and inspection applications. We are serious about system design, development, real-world testing, and delivering high-performance products to customers. We are looking for highly motivated individuals to help us realize this vision. Visit nearearth.aero to learn more about how you can help create the future of autonomous aviation.

We offer full benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, 401(k), and flexibility in work-life balance.

Position Overview

Near Earth Autonomy seeks a Quality Assurance (QA) Lead to serve as the organizational expert in aviation Quality practices for both civilian and military aviation authorities. This role will lead the Quality Management effort as part of a cross-functional group to bring autonomous flight products to market, promoting and sustaining our culture of quality.

The QA Lead will provide direct hands-on support to and leadership of the company’s Quality group, ensuring our products meet development assurance requirements of aviation authorities. The ideal candidate will have experience in the implementation, maintenance, and audit management of aviation-relevant or related industries’ standards.

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Act as the Quality authority for high design assurance software and hardware development programs, ensuring they adhere to the required Development Assurance Level (DAL) objectives.
  • Create and implement compliance strategies aligned with regulatory requirements and industry standards such as DO-178C, DO-254, and AS9100D, and work with department and project leads to implement those strategies throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Own and continuously improve the company Quality Management System (QMS)
  • Prepare and conduct internal and external audits.
  • Represent Near Earth Autonomy with government auditors, airworthiness officials, customer representatives, and other external stakeholders.
  • Maintain the Approved Supplier List, performing audits and driving continuous improvement in supplier quality management and performance.
  • Develop, deliver, and document Quality training to company employees. 
  • Lead the hiring and development of Quality staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications and Skills

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and 8+ years of related experience, particularly working with software development groups
  • Quality assurance for development of systems, software, and hardware
  • Strong verbal communication and technical writing skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualification, Experience, and Skills

  • Implementation and management of quality processes in a small business
  • Aviation systems development per DO-178C and DO-254
  • Aerospace or defense product development
  • Airworthiness qualification in military or civilian aviation
  • Experience executing or contributing to a complete aviation product certification cycle
  • Software configuration management, including management of baselines and releases
  • Management of external audits with federal regulators
  • Quality training and certificates, such as Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) or AS9100 Lead Auditor certification
  • AS9100/ISO9001 compliance
  • Hardware production
  • Cybersecurity
  • Experience with production operation tools and processes

Benefits

  • Compensation compatible with qualification
  • Stock options
  • 401(k) plan
  • Health, dental, and vision benefits
  • Paid-time off and parental leave
  • Life insurance, long-term and short-term disability benefits

Due to the nature of Near Earth's funding, this position is restricted to US citizens.


 
Share

Apply for this position

Required*
We've received your resume. Click here to update it.
Attach resume or Paste resume
Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

150
To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.
Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran
  • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
    • a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
    • a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
  • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
  • An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
  • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran status


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please check one of the boxes below:

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Human Check*