Project Quality Lead

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Project Quality Lead

Confidential Client | Data Center Project | Greater Chicago, Illinois

Function

Quality & Commissioning Management

Reports To

Project QCx Manager

Location

Greater Chicago, Illinois - project site / field-based

Project Type

Data Center / Mission-Critical EPC

Role Purpose

Lead implementation of the Project Quality Management System and Construction Quality Plan across engineering, procurement, construction and turnover on a major data center project. The role manages the discipline quality team, establishes risk-based assurance and control activities, and provides independent visibility of compliance, nonconformities and readiness to the Project QCx Manager. It partners with project delivery teams to prevent defects while retaining authority to reject nonconforming work and escalate systemic risk.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain the Project Quality Plan, discipline inspection strategy, audit program and quality objectives.
• Lead CSA, MEP and AFO Quality Engineers and coordinate subcontractor quality organizations and third-party inspectors.
• Oversee ITPs, method-statement quality controls, inspections, testing, material traceability and turnover records.
• Manage nonconformities, corrective actions, quality risks, trend analysis, surveillance and lessons learned.
• Report quality performance and significant compliance risks to the Project QCx Manager and project leadership.
• Translate contract, code, specification, Owner/Tenant and project QMS requirements into project procedures, matrices, plans and acceptance controls.
• Prepare the quality organization, staffing plan, responsibility matrix, inspection coverage and competency requirements.
• Review and approve subcontractor quality plans, ITPs, inspection forms and quality submittals before work starts.
• Ensure hold, witness, review and surveillance points are identified, communicated and released only by authorized personnel.
• Plan and conduct process, subcontractor, vendor and project audits; track corrective actions to effective closure.
• Administer NCR and corrective-action processes, including containment, disposition routing, root-cause quality and recurrence prevention.
• Coordinate material receiving inspection, preservation, traceability, measuring-equipment control and special-process qualification.
• Monitor first-pass yield, rework, NCR aging, inspection completion and turnover-record readiness; issue dashboards and trend reports.
• Coordinate quality-to-commissioning handover so construction records support system completion and commissioning prerequisites.
• Promote quality awareness, conduct training, capture lessons learned and recognize early prevention opportunities.

Professional Experience & Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quality or related discipline; equivalent quality-management experience may be accepted.
• Typically 10+ years in project quality assurance/control for complex EPC or design-build construction, including 5+ years leading quality teams.
• Required experience in data center or mission-critical construction across multiple disciplines.
• Demonstrated ownership of project quality plans, audits, ITPs, NCR/CAPA, subcontractor quality and turnover records.
• Preferred auditor certification and recognized quality credential such as ASQ, CQE or equivalent.

Specific Skills & Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001-based systems, construction quality planning, inspection/test controls and records management.
• Ability to interpret contracts, specifications, drawings, codes and acceptance standards across disciplines.
• Audit planning, root-cause analysis, corrective action and quality-data trending.
• Leadership of subcontractor quality performance and difficult compliance conversations.
• Working knowledge of digital field/quality and document-control platforms.

Core Competencies

• Independent judgment and integrity.
• Preventive, risk-based thinking.
• Inclusive team leadership and coaching.
• Clear escalation and stakeholder management.
• Persistence in verified corrective-action closure.

Travel & Working Environment

The position is primarily site-based in Lisle, Illinois, with travel to vendors or other project locations as required. The role requires regular work in active construction and commissioning environments and the ability to safely access project areas, use required PPE and visually inspect installed work and test indications.

TEC Group International is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.