Lead Quality Inspector

About the Company

Airbus Helicopters, Inc. has its US regional headquarters in a suburb just outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, with more than 1,000 employees. The team builds and services aircraft with a focus on quality, productivity and efficiency, ensuring the highest quality of care and safety is built into each aircraft it assembles and maintains.

Role Overview

Airbus Helicopters in Grand Prairie, TX is seeking a Lead Aircraft Quality Inspector to provide leadership, guidance and accountability to Airbus Core Values. The position reports activities and milestone achievements to Quality Management and provides assistance, training and technical guidance to quality inspectors. It requires the aptitude to inspect articles and determine their airworthiness status after alterations, preventive maintenance, modification or repair/rework to design specifications.

Key Responsibilities

Inspection (30%)

• Perform incoming/receiving inspections to approve or reject incoming material, aircraft structures and sub-components, and detect and/or report suspected unapproved parts
• Perform detailed in-process or dimensional inspections for electrical backshops, manufacturing, functional test, composites and paint
• Inspect composite panels and/or aluminium structures, including in-process "clearance-to-close", dimensional checks, acoustic tap testing and repair inspection of cracks, cell ruptures, contamination, punctures and scratches
• Evaluate proper shimming and joining of structures with rivets and/or other hardware per design drawings, engineering dispositions and other approved data
• Evaluate airframe structures and sub-assemblies for hidden damage from shipping, receiving or manufacturing
• Evaluate aircraft system wiring harness manufacture, connectors and electrical terminations per design drawings
• Support the quarantining of non-conforming components, assemblies or articles identified during inspection
• Support monitoring of measuring and test equipment to verify proper maintenance and current calibration
• Support stock inspections and/or purges of possibly non-conforming, expired or suspected unapproved material
• Perform product sampling using appropriate methods, measuring devices and operational testing against design specifications, approved drawings and manuals
• Perform first article inspections (FAI), in-process and final inspections of maintained, repaired, modified, reworked and overhauled articles, components and sub-assemblies for return to service
• Perform conformity inspections for Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) development projects, parts manufacturer approval (PMA) parts, and structural and electrical components
• Validate the disposition of parts or repaired parts routed to the shop floor from the warehouse, internal backshops and/or suppliers for conformity and serviceability
• Validate aircraft compliance with all applicable calendar/hourly inspections, life- or cycle-limited components, airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins
• Support observation and validation of electrical instrument connections, instrument functional/operational tests, radio adjustments, navigation system checks and flight control systems
• Support validation testing of ELTs, transponders, altimeters, airspeed indicators and air data computers under 14 CFR Parts 91, 135 and 43

Leadership (25%)

• Support offsite repair station activities to ensure compliance with Airbus policies, procedures and FAA regulations
• Use active listening and observation to identify the source of conflicts and develop and prioritise resolution plans regarding schedule and personnel
• Use Airbus Core Values to create an environment for success and lead by example with integrity, commitment, confidence, teamwork, customer focus, respect and reliability
• Critically analyse complex situations to balance customer needs, regulatory requirements and company objectives
• Evaluate team members' performance to help assign duties and recommend annual goals
• Track the schedule status of aircraft and components so that defined milestones are met
• Provide technical guidance and training to team members on documentation, inspection processes and procedures
• Recommend updates to new-hire and recurrent training plans covering inspection methods, regulatory requirements and company policies/procedures

Quality department support and continuous improvement (25%)

• Support and collaborate with supervisors and upper management to overcome challenges and meet company objectives
• Review quality procedures, processes, documents and forms for accuracy and completeness
• Act as a focal point for company policies, procedures and FAA regulations
• Attend and support company events, departmental meetings, special projects and team meetings
• Support, implement and participate in the internal audit programme to maintain the Quality Management System and external audit readiness
• Use SQCDP, KPIs, practical problem solving, plan-do-check-act, root cause and corrective action and other quality metrics to drive continuous improvement
• Propose and implement innovations using lean methodologies to meet top company objectives (TCOs)

Documentation (20%)

• Verify proper tagging, identification and airworthiness of parts released to Airframe, Engines and Accessories
• Compare quantity, part number and serial number of received items with procurement data, purchase orders and other specifications
• Create QN/NCs for non-conforming material and coordinate resolution with Quality Engineers
• Verify materials have the required documentation (e.g. FAA 8130-3, EASA Form, Certificate of Conformance)
• Document maintenance actions for airframe, engine, accessories and components per FAA-approved regulations, company procedures and owner/operator maintenance tracking systems
• Research airworthiness directives, service bulletins and alert service bulletins for applicability
• Read and validate engineering drawings, reports and test specifications
• Review items in the quality quarantine cage for proper identification and documentation
• Support documentation and return to service of airframes, engines, accessories or components after production, maintenance, overhaul, repair or alteration
• Compose and prepare delivery documentation qualifying the airworthiness or return to service of aircraft, engines, parts, components and systems
• Confirm the state of preservation is documented and current where applicable, with traceability of life limits and/or time since overhaul

Requirements

• Required: Associate's degree in an aerospace/aviation-related field or equivalent experience
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Aviation Management and/or another aerospace-related field
• Able to work in the US without current or future need for visa sponsorship
• 100% on site
• Travel independently and at short notice, 15% or less per year

Licences & Qualifications

• Required: current/valid FAA Airframe & Powerplant licence
• Preferred: FAA Inspection Authorization (IA)
• Preferred: FCC 2nd Class Licence
• Preferred: Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) certificate
• Preferred: Designated Manufacturing Inspection Representative (DMIR)

Experience

• Required: 10 years combined as a quality inspector and certificated aviation maintenance technician (AMT) on aircraft components and/or systems, including at least 6 years of quality inspection at Airbus Helicopters
• Preferred: minimum 8 years at Airbus Helicopters as a quality inspector

What We Offer

• Financial rewards: competitive base salary, incentive compensation that may include profit sharing, retirement savings plan and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Work/life balance: paid time off including personal time, holidays and a generous paid parental leave programme
• Health and welfare: medical (traditional and high-deductible plans), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) and other supplemental coverage

Additional Information

Physical Requirements

• Vision: able to read computer screens, documents, reports and engineering drawings; correctable near and far vision
• Hearing and speaking: participate in conversations in person and by phone/teleconference and hear production-floor sounds including safety warnings (daily)
• Operate office and personal electronic equipment and some tools
• Carry and lift documents, tools, drawings and electronic equipment up to 30 lbs / 14 kg (daily)
• Push and pull small office furniture, equipment and tools (daily)
• Sit for long periods several times a week; squat or kneel, stand and walk, including on uneven surfaces (daily)
• Required PPE may include safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, respirators/masks and protective gloves; steel-toed shoes are required for all shop-floor visits

A full job description is provided to candidates who progress to interview, or to any candidate on request. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation to complete their application.

Company: Airbus Helicopters, Inc. Employment type: US direct hire, full time, on site. Experience level: Professional. Job ID: JR10451537.

Airbus is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status. Airbus does not sponsor visas for US positions unless specified; only applicants with current work authorisation will be considered. Employment is at will. Airbus will never ask for any monetary exchange during recruitment.