Why Join Threadlock Precision?
Threadlock Precision has recently acquired R&S Machining and now operates as a Threadlock Precision company. Threadlock Precision is a rapidly growing engineered component manufacturing organization serving leading aerospace and defense customers, including OEMs and Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers. Backed by the financial strength of D. E. Shaw Group we are actively committing to:
- our people and a strong culture with career development and learning opportunities
- expanding our capabilities
- investing in new equipment
- focusing on commercial strategies to support long-term growth and meet increasing demand across complex, high-precision manufacturing programs.
We are currently hiring a Lab Manager, Inspection at our plant located in St. Louis, Missouri and just north of Arnold, Missouri. The Work We Do Matters! The Work You Do Will Matter! Our products support the defense industrial base and ensure that the men and women serving our country have reliable, high-quality equipment.
How You Will Make a Difference
As the Lab Manager, Inspection, you will lead the inspection laboratory while also performing hands-on inspection work, including dimensional inspection, CMM programming, First Article Inspections, and troubleshooting complex measurement issues.
This working-manager role combines day-to-day team leadership with direct technical responsibility. You will assign priorities, develop inspection personnel, and improve laboratory processes while working alongside the team to support production, resolve quality concerns, and ensure precision-machined aerospace and defense components meet customer requirements.
Inspection Operations
- Personally perform and prioritize first-piece, in-process, final, receiving, and First Article Inspections to support production schedules and customer requirements.
- Assign work and balance inspection capacity across CMMs, manual inspection, documentation review, and production-support needs.
- Work alongside inspection personnel to address workload demands, urgent production needs, and complex inspection requirements.
- Monitor inspection backlogs, turnaround times, and constraints, escalating risks that could affect quality or delivery.
- Ensure inspection results are properly documented and product is released, contained, or escalated promptly.
Dimensional Inspection and Metrology
- Perform dimensional inspections of complex, close-tolerance machined components using CMMs and manual inspection equipment.
- Read and interpret engineering drawings, models, specifications, datum structures, tolerances, and GD&T requirements.
- Select and apply appropriate measurement methods, equipment, fixtures, sampling plans, and inspection strategies.
- Troubleshoot inconsistent or questionable measurement results and determine whether additional inspection, correlation, or validation is required.
- Conduct measurement correlation, gauge repeatability and reproducibility studies, and inspection-method validation as needed.
- Provide hands-on technical guidance and support to inspectors, machinists, programmers, and engineering personnel.
CMM Programming and Inspection Technology
- Create, modify, validate, and maintain CMM programs for new and existing components.
- Ensure CMM programs accurately reflect drawing, model, GD&T, datum, and customer requirements.
- Troubleshoot CMM programs, probing strategies, fixtures, reporting, and measurement inconsistencies.
- Improve CMM utilization, inspection-cycle time, programming consistency, and program organization.
- Partner with programming, engineering, and production teams to resolve model, drawing, fixturing, datum, or measurement concerns.
- Evaluate inspection software, equipment, probes, fixtures, and other technology needs.
First Article Inspection and Documentation
- Perform and coordinate dimensional inspections required for First Article Inspections in accordance with AS9102 and customer requirements.
- Prepare and review ballooned drawings, inspection results, certifications, and supporting documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Ensure inspection reports provide clear, accurate, and traceable evidence of product conformity.
- Support customer source inspections, witness inspections, and First Article reviews.
- Maintain organized, controlled, and retrievable inspection records.
Nonconformance and Production Support
- Inspect and evaluate suspected nonconforming product and ensure it is properly identified, documented, contained, and escalated.
- Provide accurate measurement data and hands-on technical support during root-cause and corrective-action investigations.
- Determine whether discrepancies result from the product, manufacturing process, drawing interpretation, inspection method, CMM program, fixture, or measurement equipment.
- Communicate inspection findings clearly and objectively to machinists, programmers, engineering, production, and quality personnel.
- Perform or coordinate reinspection and verification of corrective actions when required.
- Respond directly to shop-floor inspection questions and production issues that require immediate measurement or technical support.
Calibration and Laboratory Control
- Inspect, verify, and maintain measurement equipment to ensure it is properly identified, calibrated, protected, and suitable for use.
- Coordinate calibration schedules and remove expired, damaged, or questionable equipment from service.
- Maintain laboratory conditions appropriate for accurate dimensional measurement.
- Investigate out-of-tolerance equipment and assess potential product impact.
- Coordinate equipment maintenance, repair, certification, software updates, and preventive maintenance.
Team Leadership and Development
- Lead the inspection team while remaining actively involved in daily inspection, CMM programming, troubleshooting, and production support.
- Coach and develop inspectors, CMM programmers, and other assigned personnel through hands-on instruction and technical guidance.
- Establish expectations for accuracy, productivity, documentation, communication, and professional conduct.
- Train and qualify employees on drawings, GD&T, inspection methods, equipment, software, and customer requirements.
- Develop cross-training plans to strengthen team capability and reduce reliance on individual employees.
- Provide regular performance feedback and address performance or conduct concerns.
- Promote effective collaboration between inspection, machining, programming, engineering, production, and quality.
Continuous Improvement
- Monitor inspection turnaround time, backlog, CMM utilization, First Article completion, repeat inspections, inspection errors, and equipment availability.
- Develop and implement improvements to inspection flow, standard work, CMM programs, layouts, reporting, fixturing, and equipment utilization.
- Identify and address delays caused by unclear requirements, incomplete documentation, programming issues, unavailable equipment, or ineffective handoffs.
- Support and implement in-process verification, machine probing, mistake-proofing, and other methods that prevent defects and reduce dependence on final inspection.
- Recommend staffing, equipment, software, training, and capital investments based on workload and business needs.
- Basic Qualifications
- At least five (5) years of dimensional-inspection experience within precision machining, aerospace, defense, or another close-tolerance manufacturing environment.
- At least two (2) years of experience leading or supervising CMM and quality-control personnel responsible for inspecting CNC-machined components using manual and automated measurement equipment.
Preferred Qualifications (in addition to Basic Qualifications)
- Associate or Bachelor’s degree
- Experience programming CMMs using PC-DMIS, Calypso, MCOSMOS, CMM Manager, or comparable software.
- Experience with model-based definition and creating or interpreting two-dimensional inspection drawings from three-dimensional models.
- Working knowledge of AS9100
- ASQ Certified Quality Inspector, GD&T, or a similar certification.
Skills and Competencies
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with cross0funcational teams.
- Advanced knowledge of dimensional inspection, metrology, GD&T, engineering drawings, datum structures, measurement variation, gauge selection, and inspection planning.
- Strong understanding of CNC machining and the ability to translate technical requirements into practical, reliable inspection methods.
- Ability to perform and lead CMM inspection and first-piece, in-process, final, and First Article Inspections.
- Ability to evaluate inconsistent measurement results, make objective acceptance decisions, and determine the appropriate response.
- Strong leadership, communication, planning, organizational, prioritization, and technical problem-solving skills.
- Ability to lead and develop a technical team while remaining hands-on and committed to accuracy, laboratory discipline, and continuous improvement.
EEO Statement
Threadlock Precision 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, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
This position requires compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations. As such, candidates must be a “U.S. Person” as defined by applicable law (e.g., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or asylee/refugee).
Pay: $80,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
