Supplier Quality Inspector

Talascend is currently seeking a Supplier Quality Inspector for a contract opportunity with our client in San Antonio, Texas.

Overview

The supplier quality inspector performs quality surveillance at supplier and vendor facilities to verify that structural steel and other supplied materials and equipment conform to procurement requirements, recognized codes, and standards. This role reviews documentation, witnesses inspections and testing, identifies nonconformances, verifies corrective actions, releases conforming material for shipment, and reports surveillance results.

Responsibilities

• Review procurement requirements with supplier representatives to ensure they are understood and implemented.
• Participate in kickoff and pre-fabrication meetings, confirming witness and hold points, inspection and test planning, documentation deliverables, and traceability expectations.
• Verify that qualified procedures and personnel, calibrated equipment, current approved drawings and revisions, and released material are in place before work begins.
• Perform assigned quality surveillance activities through monitoring, observation, document review, witnessing examinations and tests, and selective hands-on inspection.
• Witness operations, inspections, examinations, and tests involving welding, fit-up, dimensional verification, nondestructive examination, blasting and coating, pressure and functional testing, final inspection, factory acceptance testing, and pre-shipment verification.
• Review material test reports, traceability and heat records, nondestructive examination reports, personnel and procedure qualifications, calibration records, coating records, and data books.
• Verify that sub-suppliers and subcontracted operations are disclosed, qualified, and controlled, and that related findings and records are included in supplier reporting.
• Reject nonconforming material and document conditions objectively with references to governing requirements and supporting photographic evidence.
• Collaborate with suppliers and project quality personnel to determine appropriate dispositions for nonconformances.
• Verify corrective actions using supplier evidence and personal observation, ensuring that open actions include an owner, due date, closure evidence, and follow-up verification.
• Report repeat findings, adverse trends, quality risks, and fabrication progress risks.
• Release conforming material for shipment and coordinate quality and progress status with applicable project personnel.
• Prepare timely and accurate surveillance reports documenting attendance, observations, findings, and actions.
• Support remote and technology-enabled surveillance, including hands-free video collaboration, three-dimensional scanning, and model overlay tools.
• Maintain assignment, inspection notice, finding, certification, and photographic records in applicable systems.

Qualifications

• Two years of related experience involving at least 2,000 hours of in-shop surveillance, examination, or testing activities; or
• High school diploma or equivalent and at least 1,000 hours of in-shop surveillance, examination, or testing activities; or
• Associate degree, or the equivalent of two years of full-time college coursework in a related discipline, plus at least 500 hours of related in-shop inspection, examination, or testing experience.
• Valid driver's license and ability to routinely travel to supplier facilities within the assigned area.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required client, facility, or export-control access.
• Ability to work under moderate supervision and reach defensible conclusions independently at supplier facilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear and factual surveillance reports.
• Working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet applications, electronic report submission and assignment tracking, and digital camera use.
• Ability to work safely in an industrial fabrication environment with exposure to noise, heat, cold, dust, fumes, and moving equipment while wearing required personal protective equipment.
• Ability to climb ladders and stairs, work at elevation, enter confined or restricted spaces when authorized, stand and walk for extended periods, and lift and carry inspection equipment weighing approximately 25 pounds.
• Vision and hearing, with correction as needed, sufficient to perform visual examinations and witness testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four to five years of quality assurance, quality control, supplier quality, or shop-surveillance experience.
• Experience with structural steel fabrication, plate work, and protective coatings.
• Industry certifications such as nondestructive examination certification, certified welding inspector certification, coating inspector certification, or production and quality certification.
• Working familiarity with applicable codes and standards, including ASME, AWS, API, and AMPP/SSPC standards.
• Experience with quality programs such as ISO 9001, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, or NQA-1.
• Experience on engineering, procurement, and construction projects in energy, nuclear, liquefied natural gas, mining and metals, or major infrastructure.
• Experience with supplier assessment, surveillance level determination, supplier requalification, or supplier document and certification data book control.
• Experience with international suppliers and translated documentation.
• Additional quality surveillance or related experience with common industrial equipment or materials.
• Experience with piping, spools, valves, supports, pressure vessels, exchangers, tanks, skids, modules, rotating equipment, packaged units, electrical and instrumentation equipment, precast concrete, or prestressed concrete products.
• Ability to provide industry certification details, including issue and expiration dates, with the resume.