Quality Assurance (QA) Lead

The Quality Assurance Lead will be responsible for developing and overseeing quality control processes to ensure deliverables, services, and program outputs meet or exceed contract requirements under the USCG VIA Call 1 contract. This position leads the implementation of the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), oversees compliance with service quality expectations, and ensures consistent, audit-ready documentation across service towers. The QA Lead will collaborate closely with Program Management, Engineering, Service Management, and customer stakeholders to enforce standards and drive continual improvement. The ideal candidate has experience managing QA processes for federal IT programs, is detail-oriented, and thrives in highly structured environments where precision, traceability, and consistency are key.

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Position Duties:

• Develop, maintain, and enforce the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), ensuring all deliverables and artifacts meet format, timeliness, and accuracy standards.
• Conduct quality reviews on technical documents, SOPs, PMR inputs, and contract deliverables.
• Track quality metrics and lead Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) when non-conformance is identified.
• Participate in internal audits, DHS/USCG program evaluations, and readiness assessments.
• Coordinate with NTRs and functional leads to ensure adherence to internal standards, customer requirements, and PWS-aligned expectations.
• Maintain quality documentation repositories and dashboards that reflect current quality status and trends.
• Support Monthly Status Reports (MSRs) and Program Management Reviews (PMRs) with validated and curated performance data.

Demonstrated Abilities:

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to enforce document, data, and process integrity across a diverse team.
• Familiarity with DHS or DoD quality management standards, including CMMI, ISO 9001, and Agile quality frameworks.
• Ability to identify process gaps and implement continuous improvement initiatives in collaboration with delivery leads.
• Skilled in using dashboards, scorecards, and performance analytics to drive transparency and accountability.
• Experience reviewing, editing, and validating deliverables in support of federal performance contracts.

Position Qualifications:

Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Quality Management, Information Systems, or a related field.

Certifications:

• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt – Preferred
• PMP – Preferred
• ITIL v4 Foundation – Preferred

Clearance:
DoD Top Secret – Required (TS/SCI Eligible – Preferred)

Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, with 4+ years supporting federal IT programs.
• Experience developing QAPs and executing QA audits or evaluations.
• Familiarity with service level tracking, contract deliverable requirements, and compliance reporting.

SMS is a dynamic systems integrator established in 1976, delivering talented teams and innovative, cost-effective solutions and services to support our customers’ missions for more than 47 years. Our ability to hire and retain quality people in a rapidly evolving IT market is proven through our employee retention rate averaging over 3 years. At SMS, we place a high value on quality of service, customer satisfaction, and best-of-breed policies and practices, resulting in CMMI Level 3 certification and ISO registrations including 9001:2015, 20000-1:2018, and ISO/IEC 27001:2013. SMS is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with offices and on-site operations at customer locations throughout the United States. 

SMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.