CQA Technician

Job Title: Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Technician Job Description The Construction Quality Assurance Technician performs field and inspection services for landfill and landfill gas projects, ensuring construction activities comply with design plans, drawings, and technical specifications. This role focuses on daily site inspections, construction oversight, and documentation, with significant opportunities for overtime, professional growth into engineering technician roles, and comprehensive benefits. The position involves extensive travel to project sites, hands-on work in active construction environments, and close coordination with contractors and internal engineering staff. Responsibilities

- Conduct daily site inspections at landfills and other construction sites to verify compliance with project design plans, drawings, and technical specifications.
- Provide oversight and inspection of landfill gas systems and landfill construction activities, including cell construction and closure, to ensure quality and adherence to engineering requirements.
- Perform construction quality assurance (CQA) activities, including monitoring, documentation, and verification of work against technical specifications.
- Support landfill gas or remedial system maintenance and monitoring, documenting performance and identifying issues that require corrective action.
- Coordinate daily field activities with general contractors and subcontractors, ensuring clear communication of project requirements and quality standards.
- Prepare and submit detailed daily written reports and photo logs that document work performed, site conditions, and any issues encountered.
- Develop construction documentation reports as requested, including markups on drawings, redlines, field notes, and technical narratives to support project records.
- Assist in training engineering technicians, associate staff, and staff professionals in field activities, sharing best practices and helping standardize CQA procedures.
- Support office operations as needed, including data entry, report preparation, and use of Word, Excel, and PDF tools for documentation and communication.
- Review designs and field conditions to validate and verify accuracy, identify discrepancies, and provide feedback through redlines and notes on reports.
- Collect and document field data, including soil sampling and geosynthetics inspection logs, and ensure that all information is accurate, complete, and properly organized.
- Observe and document erosion control measures and related earthwork activities, noting any deficiencies or areas requiring improvement.
- Maintain clear, proactive communication with project teams, overcommunicating when necessary to ensure issues are addressed promptly and effectively.
- Demonstrate initiative in the field by being curious, asking questions, and looking beyond assigned tasks to identify potential improvements in quality and safety.

Essential Skills

- At least 1 year of technician experience in landfill gas CQA or liner CQA.
- At least 23 years of experience working on active construction sites or performing engineering field work.
- Hands-on construction experience, particularly in earthwork, landfill, or related civil construction environments.
- Experience with inspections in a construction or engineering context, including documenting findings and communicating results.
- Ability to perform soil sampling and related field testing activities.
- Familiarity with geosynthetics and their inspection in construction applications, or willingness to learn and apply these skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, including use of fillable Excel templates for daily field logs.
- Ability to work with PDF documents for markups, redlines, and report preparation.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear field notes, reports, and markups on drawings.
- Capacity to travel extensively and work long hours, including rotations of several weeks at project sites.
- Valid credentials or training for working safely on active construction and landfill sites, including relevant safety certifications such as HAZWOPER 40.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate with contractors and project teams in a fast-paced field environment.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- 35 years of experience with geosynthetics inspections is highly preferred.
- Soils or concrete certifications are strongly preferred and considered a differentiator.
- Experience as an engineering earthwork inspector, soil inspector, construction materials testing (CMT) technician, soils technician, or similar role is highly transferable.
- Ability to perform detailed markups on drawings, including redlines, notes, and field data integration to support design validation.
- Experience adding notes to reports and validating designs against field conditions, identifying where plans may need clarification or adjustment.
- Familiarity with erosion control measures and the ability to assess their effectiveness in the field.
- Strong organizational skills for managing daily logs, photo documentation, and construction records.
- Self-starter mindset, with a strong sense of curiosity and willingness to look beyond assigned tasks to improve quality and processes.
- Professional traits such as being hungry to learn, humble in collaboration, and smart in problem-solving and decision-making.
- Ability to overcommunicate when necessary to ensure alignment with project stakeholders and avoid misunderstandings.
- Interest in growing into a engineering technician role, with a focus on long-term career development in construction quality assurance.
- Eligibility to participate in employer-sponsored benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), 401(k) with employer match, annual bonus programs, student debt contribution programs, paid holidays, and paid time off, as applicable to the role.

Work Environment This role is primarily field-based with approximately 80% travel and 20% office work. The position involves significant time on the road, making it well suited for someone comfortable with frequent travel and extended stays away from home. Typical project rotations are 34 weeks at landfill gas or related construction projects, working 6 days per week, followed by a one-week break. Overnight stays are common, with regional travel to locations such as Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and various East Coast states. Technicians typically stay in comfortable hotels, often extended-stay accommodations, and may have access to a company vehicle that can be taken home, along with a gas card. A daily per diem is provided while traveling. The work takes place on active landfill and construction sites, requiring adherence to safety protocols and use of appropriate personal protective equipment. The environment includes outdoor conditions, heavy equipment, earthwork operations, and landfill gas system installations. During onboarding, the first two weeks include approximately two days in an office for orientation and safety training, followed by three days on different landfill sites to gain exposure and train alongside a CQA technician. After training, technicians are assigned to a project and typically remain on-site until completion. Office time is used for report writing, data entry, and coordination using Word, Excel, and PDF tools. The organization offers a supportive culture focused on safety, professional development, and career advancement, with strong benefits and opportunities for overtime. Dress code in the field is practical and safety-oriented, suitable for outdoor work on construction and landfill sites, while office attire is business casual.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Tempe, AZ.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $21.00 - $27.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Tempe, AZ.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 29, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Tempe,AZ. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
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including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
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