Senior Nuclear Supplier Quality Engineer

SST Direct; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Benefits Package

Job summary

Valar Atomics is seeking a Senior Nuclear Supplier Quality Engineer in Torrance, CA. This role leads supplier quality activities for safety-significant, nuclear-grade suppliers and drives the CGD program, including plan review, survey execution, and technical evaluations.

You will oversee audits, NQA-1 compliance, and qualification records, and develop supplier quality frameworks, while mentoring engineers and coordinating with Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, and Operations teams.

Qualifications

• Nuclear quality assurance and supplier quality principles.
• NQA-1 knowledge and nuclear supplier qualification requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead supplier quality activities across safety-significant and nuclear-grade suppliers.
• Lead CGD program end-to-end: methodology, characteristics, review, and surveys.
• Plan, lead audits, assess NQA-1 compliance, and develop qualification records.
• Develop and maintain supplier quality requirements framework and flow-downs aligned with regulatory standards.
• Investigate nonconformances using root cause analysis and ensure regulatory traceability.

Skills

NQA-1 knowledge

Supplier audits

Root cause analysis

Regulatory traceability

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree

Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program graduate

10+ years nuclear industry experience (no degree)

Job description

Senior Nuclear Supplier Quality Engineer

Location: Torrance, CA
Salary: $165,000–$225,000/year
Employment Type: Full-Time / Direct Hire
Benefits: Comprehensive Benefits Package

We are seeking an experienced Senior Nuclear Supplier Quality Engineer to serve as a nuclear quality assurance subject matter expert within the Supplier Quality organization.

This position will own critical supplier oversight activities and help ensure the supply chain is robust, compliant, and defensible for the procurement of nuclear safety-related materials, components, and services.

The Senior Nuclear Supplier Quality Engineer will lead supplier qualification and auditing activities from planning and scheduling through execution, reporting, and corrective action. The role will also support nonconformance reporting (NCR), Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR), supplier performance monitoring, and quality improvement initiatives while partnering closely with Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, Operations, and project teams.

A major responsibility of this position is supporting the Commercial Grade Dedication (CGD) Program, including reviewing and approving CGD plans and conducting Commercial Grade Surveys at supplier facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead supplier quality activities across Valar Atomics’ safety-significant, quality-affecting, and nuclear-grade suppliers—including reactor components, fuel system hardware, specialty materials, instrumentation, fabricated assemblies, and special process providers.
• Participating in Valar Atomics’ Commercial Grade Dedication (CGD) program end-to-end: dedication methodology development, critical characteristics definition, technical evaluation plan construction, sampling strategy, CGD Plan review and approval, and Commercial Grade Survey execution.
• Plan, lead, and own nuclear supplier qualification programs, including supplier audit planning and execution, NQA-1 compliance assessment, process capability evaluation, documentation review, and formal qualification record development.
• Develop and maintain Valar Atomics’ nuclear supplier quality requirements framework, including purchase order quality clause libraries, NQA-1-aligned flow-down requirements, supplier quality plan standards, and source inspection criteria.
• Investigate and resolve complex or systemic nuclear supplier nonconformances using structured root cause and corrective action methodology, ensuring technically defensible outcomes with appropriate regulatory traceability.
• Develop and maintain supplier performance measurement systems, risk-tiered oversight frameworks, and supplier development programs for nuclear-grade and safety-significant suppliers.
• Support NRC, DOE, NNSA, customer quality representative, and external auditor engagements on supplier quality topics, including documentation preparation, technical interface, and finding resolution.
• Mentor Supplier Quality Engineers, contribute to organizational capability development on nuclear quality principles, and help institutionalize nuclear supplier quality disciplines across the team.
• Develop nuclear supplier quality procedures, CGD work instructions, qualification frameworks, and quality system documentation aligned with NQA-1 and applicable regulatory requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 5+ years of nuclear industry experience, OR
• Graduate of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program plus 3+ years of nuclear experience, OR 10+ years of direct nuclear industry experience without a bachelor's degree.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience with nuclear quality assurance and supplier quality principles.
• Knowledge of NQA-1 and nuclear supplier qualification requirements.
• Strong technical judgment and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to independently lead supplier audits, assessments, and quality investigations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, Operations, and supplier organizations.
• Ability to travel to supplier facilities as required.