Lead Quality Assurance Analyst - 90198217 - Chicago
Chicago, IL, US, 60616
Your success is a train ride away!
As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.
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Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.
Job Summary
The Lead Quality Assurance Analyst performs independent assessments, analyses, and evaluations to confirm compliance with the Mechanical Department’s Quality Management System, RSE Equipment Engineering requirements, and all applicable regulatory standards.
Serving as a First Line Leader, this role provides day-to-day guidance, technical direction, and mentorship to Quality Assurance Analysts, promoting professional development and ensuring consistent, standardized inspection and evaluation practices.
The Lead Analyst supports the collection, organization, and analysis of quality and performance data to identify trends and areas of risk. This position requires a high degree of objectivity and sound judgment, applying effective observation, data analysis, and interview techniques to determine compliance or non-compliance, while identifying equipment focus areas to enhance reliability and overall system performance.
Essential Functions
- Collect, analyze, and convert quality and performance data into clear, actionable outputs that support team deployment, prioritization, and management decision-making.
- Identify high-risk or high-impact focus areas requiring detailed analytical review to direct Quality Assurance activities and improve procedural and production effectiveness.
- Develop and provide recommendations to strengthen standards, methodologies, and quality processes to ensure compliance and enhance operational performance.
- Review and validate completed datasets to confirm accuracy, completeness, and data integrity prior to use or reporting.
- Analyze performance data to identify systemic trends, define problems, establish factual baselines, and draw valid conclusions that support corrective actions and process improvements.
- Present findings clearly and professionally, and effectively respond to questions from Quality Assurance personnel, facility management, and other stakeholders.
- Serve as a liaison between Quality Assurance Analysts and Senior Quality Assurance, coordinating the identification, documentation, and submission of material issues through the VPT process and ensuring timely communication of findings to the Quality Team.
- Coordinate with internal regulatory and compliance partners to support adherence to applicable federal, state, and local environmental and food safety regulations, including EPA and FDA requirements.
- Monitor, evaluate, and report compliance with sanitation and food-handling requirements for rolling stock serviced at mechanical facilities.
- Provide guidance, mentoring, and training support to newly assigned Quality Assurance team members to promote consistency and competency.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of quality, compliance, and operational objectives.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 4 years of relevant work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 8 years of relevant work experience.
- ISO and/or AAR Lead Auditor certification
- Extensive experience and working knowledge of applicable FRA, FDA, and EPA regulations.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Access and Microsoft Project.
- Demonstrated experience and working knowledge of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and AAR M-1003 quality system criteria.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Demonstrated leadership experience in a quality-related role, such as auditor, inspector, manager, or quality trainer, with exposure to ISO, AAR, ASQ, Lean, and/or formal Quality Management Systems.
- Proven knowledge and experience with equipment maintenance procedures and North American railway safety and regulatory requirements, including but not limited to AAR, FRA, FDA, EPA, and Transport Canada, with working familiarity of CFR Part 238 and basic qualification requirements.
- Possesses, or is able to obtain with company support all required certifications.
- Demonstrated leadership capability with effective project management and task-coordination skills.
- Working knowledge of mechanical and equipment systems, with strong problem-solving ability across all fleet types, including locomotives, trainsets, and passenger cars.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, and Power BI.
- Ability to quickly learn and apply new tasks both complex and routine in a fast-paced environment with frequently changing priorities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey technical and analytical information.
- Flexibility to work extended or irregular hours as operational needs require.
- Working knowledge of collective bargaining agreements and their application within an operational environment
The salary/hourly range is $94,300.00 – $122,256.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:165986
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
You power our progress through your performance.
We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.
Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.
Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.
In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.
In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.
Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.
