Quality Laboratory Technician

Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe.

The Role:

As a member of Spirit's Fabrication Quality Assurance Laboratory, performs a variety of qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemical solutions and metallic materials to ensure compliance to customer specifications and regulatory requirements in regard to chemical composition and chemical process properties. Commodities include: Chemical cleaning; corrosion protection; metal-protective finishing; application of organic finishes (painting); metal bonding; and aluminum, steel, and titanium alloys.

Key Accountabilities:

• Conducts basic and complex analyses of production samples using approved analytical methods and techniques. Objective is to ensure that control of solution composition and chemical processing performance is maintained. Prepares accurate and complete records of work performed.
• Applies knowledge of the chemical and physical sciences to performing tests on finished/processed materials to validate chemical processing and metal finishing performance in accordance with customer specifications.
• Sets up and operates laboratory equipment and chemical instrumentation, such as sample collection and preparation for analysis, titration equipment, spectrometers (e.g., ICP-OES), chromatographic instruments (e.g., ion chromatograph), and standard QA/QC measurement and test equipment (e.g., micrometers). Use of computer software/applications is often required for the operation of the equipment and/or analysis of results.
• Researches and analyzes material, test, and process specification requirements and definitions.
• Monitors laboratory results for out-of-specification and out-of-trend conditions. Documents these conditions in a clear, accurate, and concise fashion.
• Supports the implementation of corrective actions that are necessary to reduce or eliminate nonconformance to material, test, and process specification requirements.
• Critically reviews own work for accuracy and completeness.
• Performs routine housekeeping and safety activities in the laboratory, including tracking chemical usage to support timely ordering/re-ordering of reagents, standards, and chemicals.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 2 years of formal college chemistry study is required (chemistry courses in support of non-chemistry majors is acceptable).
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a chemistry laboratory is required (a university or technical college chemistry laboratory is acceptable).
• Minimum of 3 years related experience with no degree OR a Bachelor's degree plus1-3 years' related experience.
• Related experience includes performing chemically-based analyses and testing in support of commercial production activities, including use of chemical instrumentation (such as titration, spectrometry, and chromatography instruments).
• High School Diploma or GED

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with aerospace quality management systems (AS9100 and/or Nadcap AQS) is desirable.

Spirit AeroSystems is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.

Kansas Tax Credit: Join Spirit AeroSystems' Kansas team and you may be eligible for a $5,000 state of Kansas Aviation tax credit for up to five years. Click here for more information on the tax credit.