Karen Hughes
Charleston,SC
Summary
Detail-oriented & skilled Quality Assurance Inspector well-versed at uncovering & documenting defects during the manufacturing/production of airplanes in order to maintain aircraft configuration.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Office Manager
Moore Air Conditioning
Charleston, SC
07.2015 - 12.2023
- Assisted with the preparation of budgets, forecasts & financial statements
- Maintained filing system for records, correspondence & other documents
- Tracked invoices & payments to ensure accuracy of accounts receivable & payable information
- Performed general bookkeeping duties such as reconciling bank statements & creating journal entries
- Reviewed contracts for accuracy prior to signing off on behalf of the company
- Monitored payments due from clients & promptly contacted clients with past due payments
- Answered phone calls, responded to emails, routed mail, created business letters & records
- Sustained office efficiency by implementing & planning office systems, equipment procurement, & layouts
787 Dreamliner Quality Inspector
The Boeing Company
North Charleston, SC
01.2010 - 05.2015
- Promoted to Quality Team Lead of Forward & Aft Joins of 787 in May of 2012
- Assisted members of my workgroup interpret & analyze engineering technical information, drawing, handbooks, industry standards, & specifications
- Verify routine product conformance to design requirements
- Perform auditing, surveillance, & monitoring
- Validate work instructions, tooling requirements, certifications, process standards, policies & procedures
- Identify & document discrepancies
- Segregate & control non-conforming items
- Conduct product review with customer during product or process verification
- Record, identify repetitive or significant non-conformance's, & initiate requests for corrective action
- Ensure corrections are made as needed with supporting data in order to maintain the configuration of the aircraft
- Work with Manufacturing & Quality personnel to ensure any corrections and/or corrective actions are appropriate
- Interpret data from various sources; generates effective solutions to problems; coach mechanics on quality processes & procedures; ensures first pass quality inspections
- Examine materials & products rejected by subordinates to verify defects & determine whether defects are within the allowable engineering standards
- Generates & maintains quality metrics & reports, as well as implementing appropriate preventive & corrective actions (as needed) to improve quality
- Identifies problems & proposes solutions that are both timely & cost-effective
- Assists in development of inspection/test procedures for all areas of responsibility
- Works with QA, Manufacturing, & Engineering in order to support quality & business objectives
- Develops & initiates standards/methods for inspection, testing, evaluation, & implementing methods
- Develops & implements methods & procedures for disposition of discrepant parts
- Suggests & implements changes in working conditions & use of equipment to increase safety & efficiency of the quality department
- Assist workers to analyze & resolve work problems with day-to-day challenges
- Approves finished products by confirming specifications; conducts visual & measurement tests; return products for re-work, confirms re-work
- Perform supervisory & administrative duties associated with inspection personnel
- Ensure inspection personnel are properly trained & provides on going guidance
- Performed visual inspections of products to ensure product quality
- Analyzed rejected materials & determined root cause of failure or defect
- Trained new employees in the use of inspection equipment & techniques
- Read blueprints & manuals to determine test procedures or adjustment methods
- Identified production concerns & worked with supervisors to remedy situations
- Inspected, tested and measured materials for conformance to specifications & regulatory requirements
- Analyzed plans, specifications, & blueprints to understand product requirements
- Completed non-destructive tests & conducted continuous inspections
- Consulted with engineers to resolve quality, production, & efficiency problems
- Oversaw proper tagging/identification of parts & components, enabling rejected or non-repairable parts to be properly marked, quarantined & rendered unusable
- Used specialized tools to take precise measurements of various aspects of samples
- Verified that all manufactured parts met design tolerances using precision measuring instruments such as calipers & micrometers
- Reviewed engineering drawings, blueprints, & specifications for accuracy prior to production run commencing
C-17 Loadmaster
U.S. Air Force
01.2002 - 12.2009
- Supervise & instruct loading crews during loadmaster activities on the aircraft including: Loading & off loading procedures, Cargo handling, Calculate the correct restraint needed for cargo being carried
- Direct load crews during the application of restraint devices such as: Restraint rails, straps, chains, & nets to prevent shifting during flight
- Perform preflight, through-flight, & post flight inspections of aircraft according to flight manual procedures
- Review aircraft weight & balance, cargo manifest, & compute quantity of cargo distribution to be loaded in order to determine proper placement of cargo in the aircraft
- Compute the weight & balance, taking into consideration factors such as the amount of weight to be placed in each compartment, fuel load, aircraft structural limits, & emergency equipment
- Experience in types, capacities; & configuration of transport aircraft; weight & balance factors; arithmetic; emergency & oxygen use; communications; current flying directives; interpreting diagrams; loading charts & applicable publications
- Fly worldwide humanitarian relief missions
- Created a database in which to track flying data for aircrew squadron of 120 members in my squadron
- Assisted in maintaining database, which tracked 400 wartime awards & decorations for the airmen of the 701st.
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Computer Technology
Trident Technical College
North Charleston, SC12.2002
Skills
- Quality Assurance Background
- Corrective Action Implementation
- Blueprint & Schematic Understanding
- Personnel Training & Mentorship
- Lean Manufacturing
- Attention To Detail
Certification
- Microcomputer Business Applications & AS/400
- C++ Programming
- Programming Logic & Design
- Microcomputer Database
- Operating Systems
- JAVA
- Complex Computer Applications
- Data Entry
Accomplishments
- Completed Airman Leadership School, June 2005
- Accomplished over 1600 hours of flying time on the C-17 Globe master
- Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Cluster
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- Combat Readiness Medal
- Air Force Good Conduct Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Medal
- Air Force Training Ribbon
Phone:
(843)735-1985
Timeline
Office Manager
Moore Air Conditioning
07.2015 - 12.2023
787 Dreamliner Quality Inspector
The Boeing Company
01.2010 - 05.2015
C-17 Loadmaster
U.S. Air Force
01.2002 - 12.2009
Associate of Applied Science - Computer Technology
Trident Technical College
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