Quality Control Technician

Company Overview Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats. Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific. Group Overview Electromagnetic and Cyber Group (EM&C) is responsible for developing flexible and survivable advanced electronic warfare and secure communications equipment while providing the industry’s leading signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and cyber experts.  Metrea specializes in signal classification, direction finding, advanced geolocation techniques, and waveform development including waveforms for MANET and LPI/LPD applications. Metrea also develops special purpose radios for government customers and licenses DF and geolocation solutions to multiple OEMs.  Position Summary Reporting to the SHADOWLAB Product Integrity Lead, Electromagnetics and Cyber Group (EM&C), and supporting Metrea’s overall engineering efforts, the Quality Control (QC) Technician will join our busy team specializing in state-of-the-art military communications and signals intelligence products. All our teams operate in a small agile environment which allows our engineering personnel to work independently on a wide variety of systems and products. Our mix of product development and R&D also provides our engineering staff with a constant flow of new and interesting projects. What You'll Do - Incoming, In-Process, and Final Inspection Inspect purchased components, fabricated parts, cable assemblies, PCBs, mechanical assemblies, and finished products against drawings, specifications, BOMs, work instructions, and acceptance criteria. - Measurement & Test Equipment Operation Use appropriate inspection equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, torque tools, pin/thread gauges, optical inspection equipment, multimeters, and other test equipment to verify product conformity. Support test equipment tracking, inventory management, and calibration scheduling. - Quality Documentation & Traceability Accurately document inspection results, serial/lot information, acceptance records, inspection reports, and objective evidence within the QMS/MES/ERP or other controlled systems. Provide timely reporting of results to the Product Integrity Lead. - Nonconformance Identification & Control Identify and document nonconforming material, segregate or quarantine affected product, initiate NCRs/nonconformance records, and support disposition through the MRB process. Provide timely reporting of nonconformities to the Product Integrity Lead. - Manufacturing & Engineering Support Work directly with technicians, assemblers, manufacturing engineers, and design engineers to resolve workmanship, drawing, process, or inspection issues without independently changing engineering requirements. - Quality System & Process Compliance Follow controlled procedures, inspection plans, work instructions, calibration requirements, ESD/FOD controls, workmanship standards, configuration controls, and applicable quality-system requirements. Assist in administering QC technical standards and annual facility compliance training. - Production Support Assist with production assembly to meet fluctuating operational needs. What You Bring Skills and Experience - Associate QC Technician - 0–2 years of manufacturing, inspection, assembly, electronics, machining, or similar technical experience - Ability to read basic engineering drawings, BOMs, work instructions, and inspection criteria - Basic proficiency with calipers, micrometers, gauges, multimeters, and/or visual inspection equipment - Basic understanding of ESD, FOD, workmanship, traceability, and documentation discipline - Ability to accurately record inspection results and recognize obvious nonconformances Expected autonomy: Follow the inspection plan correctly and know when to stop and ask. Skills and Experience - QC Technician - 2–4 years of relevant quality/manufacturing experience - Proficient reading mechanical drawings, tolerances, notes, specifications, and assembly documentation - Independent use of common dimensional and electrical inspection equipment - Working knowledge of NCRs, calibration status, material traceability, configuration control, and acceptance records - Familiarity with applicable workmanship standards such as IPC or equivalent industry standards Expected autonomy: Can independently determine whether routine hardware conforms to established requirements. Skills and Experience – Senior QC Technician - 4–7 years of relevant inspection/manufacturing experience. - Advanced blueprint interpretation, including GD&T fundamentals and complex tolerance evaluation - Experience inspecting electromechanical assemblies, cable harnesses, PCBs, precision mechanical parts, or similar complex hardware - Strong understanding of NCR/MRB processes, first-article inspection, inspection planning, and measurement-system limitations - Ability to troubleshoot ambiguous inspection results and mentor Level I–II technicians Expected autonomy: Can determine conformity on complex hardware and recognize when the requirement—not just the part—needs engineering clarification. Skills and Experience – Principal QC Technician - 7–10+ years of progressive quality/manufacturing experience. - Advanced knowledge of GD&T, measurement techniques, workmanship standards, inspection planning, and product acceptance - Experience supporting FAI, MRB, root-cause investigations, PFMEA/control plans, process validation, and production readiness activities - Ability to develop or improve inspection methods, inspection instructions, checklists, and acceptance criteria from engineering requirements - Demonstrated ability to train inspectors and manufacturing personnel and coordinate quality activities across multiple programs Expected autonomy: Can determine how something should be inspected and ensure the inspection process itself is technically sound. Skills and Experience – Senior Principal QC Technician / QC Technical Lead - 10+ years of progressively responsible quality/manufacturing experience with significant complex hardware inspection experience - Expert understanding of dimensional inspection, GD&T, workmanship, metrology, measurement uncertainty, inspection planning, and acceptance methodology - Extensive experience with MRB, FAI, production qualification, control plans, PFMEA, configuration management, and corrective-action investigations - Ability to establish inspection strategies for new products transitioning from engineering/R&D into repeatable production - Demonstrated technical leadership, including mentoring QC personnel, resolving disputed acceptance decisions, and working directly with Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality Engineering leadership Expected autonomy: Defines and governs how QC executes product acceptance across the organization. Benefits - Comprehensive medical plan options - HSA/FSA accounts - Dental and vision coverage - 6% employer 401(k) match - Fully paid parental leave for all new parents - Generous PTO - Life and disability insurance - Long-term and Short-term disability coverage - AD&D Coverage - Pet Insurance - Employee Assistance Program - Subsided gym membership / plans through Wellhub    Work Authorization / Security Clearance Employee must be a US citizen. AAP/EEO Statement Metrea Algorithmics LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time nonexempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Work Environment This job operates in an office setting. Travel Up to 10% travel is expected for this role. Base Pay Range The compensation range shown below is a good faith estimate and reflects the expected base pay for this position upon hire. This is just one component of Metrea's overall approach to total rewards and final compensation decisions, including the ultimate salary or hourly rate agreed upon, may vary depending on factors such as job location, job-specific knowledge, skills, experience, and the overall negotiated compensation package. Eligible full-time employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their health, wellbeing, and long-term success. Pay Range $35—$40 USD Our Firmware At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems. Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.