Job Description

The Company:

For those who dream of advancing our space in the Universe and on Earth, we'll take you there.

Serving the world from our Canadian home and our global offices, MDA is an international space mission partner and robotics & space operations, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 50-year story of firsts on and above the Earth. Today, we're leading the charge towards viable Moon colonies, enhanced Earth observation, communication in a hyper-connected world, and more.

We're fueled by a pioneering spirit that carries us beyond. And together we enable highly skilled people to continually push boundaries and tackle big challenges requiring solutions that endure and inspire.

Are you ready to launch the next stage of your career in the new space economy? We would love to hear from you!

The Role:

We're on the hunt for a Quality Assurance (QA) Member of Technical Staff (MTS) emphasizing the role of Manufacturing Quality Lead as part of our Geointelligence Team at our Richmond, British Columbia office.

Our mission is to turn data into insight. From detecting changes in fragile ecosystems to monitoring northern ice floes and shipping routes, our near-real time data of Earth observation and the environment makes our Geointelligence team a leader in geospatial imagery, ground stations, enterprise geospatial systems and defence programs.

As a member of the Quality team you will work with our programs such as Chorus Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Satellite, Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC), Aeronautical Navigation products, Maritime Insights products, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) services. You will work as part of a technical team to develop new capabilities, enhance existing capabilities and deliver solutions to our customers.

As part of your growth and development we will work with you to establish your development actions alongside regular progress reviews. You are likely to move through various projects to gain the experience and knowledge to progress your career with us.

The QA MTS reports to the Director, Quality Assurance. The QA MTS is responsible for providing direct support and guidance to business pursuits and program projects, maintaining and assuring conformance to MDA's ISO 9001:2015 certified Company Quality System (CQS), and otherwise enabling company adherence to the Quality Policy.

Job Responsibilities:

Responsibilities fall under three key functions:

1. Programmatic Support and Independent Reporting

• Supports contract negotiations including identifying relevant quality-related clauses as applicable.
• Estimates, prioritizes, plans and coordinates QA activities including tailoring standard processes as appropriate relative to pursuit or project needs. Defines corresponding work package(s) including specification of schedule and budget.
• Authors detailed Quality Assurance Plans and ensures appropriate stakeholder involvement.
• Provides QA leadership within pursuit/project and process execution contexts by engaging local leadership.
• Acts as a quality liaison with corresponding external parties representing the customer or subcontractors/suppliers.
• Reviews pursuit/project plans for conformance to the CQS; reviews other records and documentation, including that being provided to customers, and provides timely and meaningful feedback.
• Plans, conducts and reports on project audits (including supplier/subcontractor audits) in accordance with the Universal Audit Schedule (UAS), sampling across processes and relative to established standards, contracts, plans and processes; completes audit plan and report content.
• Leads and/or supports preparation for, conduct and followup of customer audits.
• Manages subcontractor/supplier qualification by confirming relevant risks are identified and appropriately controlled and performance is monitored in accordance with plans and processes.
• Identifies and initiates records of nonconformance when required, follows up on containment actions as necessary, facilitates determination of root cause(s), and establishes plans for resolution, and confirms completion of corrective actions. Updates and otherwise maintains supporting records.
• Provides oversight of projects to ensure effective implementation of CQS requirements and participates in pursuit/project team meetings including risk reviews and significant milestone meetings.
• Leads and/or facilitates the identification of lessons learned and tracks their realization as appropriate.
• Represents QA interests in multi-stakeholder meetings including presenting information to customers and other interested parties and responding to related inquiries.
• Elevates quality concerns among leadership and other stakeholders along the prescribed escalation path.
• Performs status reporting as necessary including authoring content and presenting on specific topics.

2. Technical Solution Alignment

• Assures solution requirements are appropriately addressed in terms of elements of design, implementation deliverables and subsequent assembly, integration and test / verification and validation activities.
• Assures the configuration of solution deliverables is sufficiently specified and controlled.
• Works with project leadership and customer representation to establish that release criteria are prospectively defined and reflective of quality objectives to be achieved.
• Leads and/or supports the establishment and conduct of source or incoming inspections for materials or services that appropriately address quality requirements.
• Acts in the capacity of Manufacturing Quality Lead as a delegate of the Department Leader.
  • Inspects parts and subassemblies relative to specifications confirming their suitability for use in production line assembly, integration and test (Production AIT) activities or confirms such inspections have been performed in a satisfactory manner.
  • Reviews Production AIT procedures and provides feedback from a quality perspective.
  • Affirms quality control activities (e.g. readiness, in-process and finished product inspections and checks) are completed according to defined practices and product meets corresponding specifications and quality objectives.
  • Affirms equipment, tooling and workplace environments meet defined specifications and are maintained according to established procedures (e.g. calibration management) and other related controls remain effective (e.g. electrostatic discharge).
  • Affirms the competency of personnel as sufficiently established to perform Production AIT activities.
  • Performs internal audits of program governing Production AIT activities and provides guidance and support to related MDA staff when implementing improvements or hosting external audits.
• Confirms the work environment is sufficiently established to perform relevant activities (as applicable), including:
  • Equipment calibration and tool validation is established through available evidence.
  • Relevant environment parameters are established and maintained through monitoring.
• Works with technical leadership to help define the inputs for integration activities and the applicable corresponding verification and validation activities.
• Chairs and/or participates in Change Control Boards (CCBs) and Material Review Boards (MRBs) to confirm effective dispositioning of solution components for subsequent activities.
• Leads and/or supports the conduct of independent test witnessing as required and performance of Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs) and Test Review Boards (TRBs).
• Reviews and approves technical documentation to confirm:
  • Requirements have been sufficiently addressed,
  • Identified risks have been adequately regarded,
  • Documentation provided is reasonably free of inconsistencies and discrepancies, and
  • Determinations made are adequately supported by evidence.

3. Quality System Maintenance and Support

• Plans, conducts and reports on system (i.e. process) audits in accordance with the audit schedule and relative to established standards, plans and processes; completes audit plan and report content.
• Supports preparation for, conduct and followup of registration audits.
• Maintains the integrity of the Approved Suppliers List.
• Contributes to the continual improvement of MDA's CQS including engaging in process improvement activities and performing (or supporting) process-related training.
• Mentors colleagues in the conduct of QA activities and updates personnel development plans accordingly.
• Provides functional supervision over assigned quality system topic areas to define and maintain consistency in practice and the data-driven determination of effectiveness.
• Stays informed on QA best practices and applies new knowledge as appropriate within the current work context.

Job Requirements:

• Post-secondary degree in Science or Engineering (or equivalent) and at least 3 years of relevant experience (level commensurate with experience).
• Two or more years of experience performing audits (level commensurate with experience); certification to ISO 9001:2015 (or another internationally recognized quality management system standard) as an internal auditor considered an asset.
• Experience working with ISO 9001:2015 (or similar, e.g. AS9100-D) requirements within the context of a company quality management system.
• Knowledge of the following standards considered an asset: ISO 14001 Environmental Management, ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management, and ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management.
• Requires excellent verbal, written and presentation communication skills.
• Requires excellent time management and prioritization capabilities.
• Requires the ability to manage office communication and collaboration computer applications.
• Requires the ability to work well within a team and liaise with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Requires an ability to travel internationally.
• Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the Secret status level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP); note this position requires one to pursue higher levels of security clearance.

We're a dream team of purpose-driven, collaborative and passionate people, and we are constantly looking for others to join #TeamMDA to ignite new and innovative approaches to problem-solving that push us forward to improve life on and above Earth. If you're excited to expand our place in space and driven to inspire the next generation, we'll take you there.

We have entered a new era of exploration and development, and MDA welcomes all who yearn to suit up and be part of it. An equal opportunity employer prizing diversity, integrity and collaboration, we are committed to growing MDA's and Canada's leadership in this next golden age.

Comments/Special Considerations:

MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations. As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

MDA is an equal opportunity employer prizing diversity and inclusion. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity. If you require assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please feel free to notify us.

With a priority on maintaining the safety of our employees, customers and communities, MDA has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy for employees and visitors. Please speak to a recruiter for more details.

Salary:

The compensation range for this position is $66,750 - $98,000 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate