Quality Assurance Manager

NRAO Headquarters, 520 Edgemont Rd, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, United States of America

Posted Friday, August 28, 2026 at 4:00 AM

Position

Description:

Position Summary

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and development organization that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a nonprofit organization that manages and operates the NRAO under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The Observatory is a hub for technological and scientific collaboration, operating state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community.

The Observatory has been instrumental in the study of black holes, galaxies, and the early universe.

At NRAO, we are seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead and strengthen our quality assurance practices across projects and teams. This is not a role focused solely on writing policies and procedures. The successful candidate will combine QA leadership, hands‑on collaboration, coaching, and independent auditing. You will establish effective QA processes and standards while working directly with project teams to develop practical, tailored QA plans that reflect the risks, complexity, and objectives of each project.

You will be expected to be a trusted partner to project teams and help them apply QA practices effectively, provide hands‑on assistance when needed, and independently assess whether agreed processes are being followed and are achieving the desired outcomes.

The location for this position will be at the NRAO HQ located in Charlottesville, VA on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Domestic travel will be required up to 25%.

What You Will be Doing:

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve organization-wide QA processes, standards, procedures, and guidelines.
• Work closely with systems engineers, project teams, stakeholders, and other personnel to develop tailored QA plans for individual projects.
• Assess project‑specific risks, requirements, timelines, and delivery approaches when determining appropriate QA strategies.
• Provide hands‑on QA support and guidance to project teams when necessary, particularly on complex, high‑risk, or strategically important initiatives.
• Coach and mentor project teams on effective quality practices, testing, documentation, reviews, controls, and continuous improvement.
• Establish appropriate quality gates, checkpoints, metrics, and acceptance criteria.
• Conduct independent QA audits and assessments to determine whether projects are following approved processes and QA plans.
• Proactively identify gaps, risks, non‑conformances, and opportunities for improvement, partnering with project teams to develop and implement effective and sustainable corrective actions.
• Drive corrective actions through successful completion, verifying implementation effectiveness, and ensuring measurable, lasting improvements.
• Provide management with clear, objective reporting on project quality, risks, trends, audit findings, and areas requiring attention.
• Promote a culture in which quality is built into project delivery rather than treated as a final‑stage inspection.
• Continuously evaluate QA practices and recommend improvements based on lessons learned, project outcomes, industry practices, and emerging risks.

Work is mission driven, team oriented and typically performed in an office setting within a research or development environment. Occasional domestic and international travel will be required.

Who You Are:

• You have a bachelor's degree in engineering or related field
• 8+ years of progressive experience in quality assurance, quality management, project delivery, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience independently developing and implementing QA processes, frameworks, standards, and procedures.
• Strong experience creating project‑specific QA plans rather than relying solely on standardized, one‑size‑fits‑all processes.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with project teams and provide practical, hands‑on QA support.
• Experience conducting process and project audits, identifying deficiencies, and…