QC Lead/Project Manager I

Overview

This position can be based in Washington, DC, Orlando, FL or San Antonio, TX

The Work

The Project Manager Level I Quality Control Lead serves as a linchpin in delivering high-quality, compliant project outcomes while ensuring efficient and effective use of resources. The role combines foundational project management responsibilities with a critical focus on quality assurance practices, requiring close collaboration with teams and adherence to the client’s management standards. Success in this position is marked by achieving stakeholder satisfaction, meeting deliverable requirements, and maintaining compliance with federal quality guidelines.

This position performs all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of Cayuse.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day management for small-scale or narrowly scoped projects or assist higher-level managers with larger projects.
• Track milestones, deliverables, and project schedules to meet deadlines.
• Coordinate between cross-functional teams, including technical, programmatic, and administrative personnel.
• Act as a liaison between stakeholders, including leadership and contractors, to ensure effective communication and expectations alignment.
• Organize team meetings, briefings, and reporting to ensure transparency in project status, obstacles, and successes.
• Identify potential risks or challenges to project timelines or deliverables and propose mitigation strategies.
• Maintain a project risk register and escalate significant risks to senior leadership as necessary.
• Maintain project artifacts, including project charters, project plans, risk analysis, and decision logs, using client approved document and project management tools.
• Generate accurate and timely reports for internal reviews and audits.
• Adhere to the client’s program management framework, governance protocols, and acquisition standards in the execution of all project responsibilities.
• Coordinate with contracting officers to ensure deliverables align with contractual obligations.
• Develop and enforce a Quality Control Plan (QCP) aligned with the client’s policies, contractual requirements, and industry best practices (e.g., ISO 9001:2015, CMMI standards).
• Define measurable quality objectives and standards to assess work deliverables and performance.
• Conduct audits and reviews of project deliverables, processes, and outcomes to ensure the quality of services meets the client’s specifications.
• Provide corrective action recommendations and follow-ups to address non-compliance or deficiencies in quality.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by capturing lessons learned and implementing best practices for improved efficiency and quality.
• Analyze and interpret project data to identify trends, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and provide actionable insights.
• Maintain oversight of quality process documentation, ensuring team members understand and follow the client’s quality control procedures.
• Train staff on best practices for maintaining quality, including configuration management, process documentation, and issue resolution.
• Supervise regular inspection and testing protocols necessary to verify deliverable quality (such as hardware, software, or system functionality if applicable).
• Provide verification and validation activities for critical deliverables, ensuring alignment with client’s design and operational standards.
• Work closely with the client’s leadership, contractors, and external stakeholders to clarify quality requirements and ensure project alignment with goals.
• Actively participate in Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) to resolve technical or process-related challenges.
• Develop and manage quality metrics to measure the overall health of projects under the PM’s oversight.
• Report on quality risks, incidents, and compliance trends to key decision-makers.
• Monitor project workflows and deliverables, identifying gaps where efficiencies or improvements can be introduced.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for addressing quality issues, escalating when necessary to higher-level management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Qualifications – Here’s What You Need

• A minimum of three (3) years’ experience performing quality control duties in any field.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies such as PMBOK, Agile, or Scrum.
• Experience using project management software (e.g., Microsoft Project, Jira, or other client specific tools).
• Strong understanding o