Quality Engineer

U.S. Citizenship is required. This is a full-time, exempt position based in Alexandria, VA (HQ) with 10-20% travel as required by project assignments, including internal company audits, supplier audits, and visits to MPR branch offices.

About the role

As the Quality Engineer at MPR, you play a key role in ensuring the MPR quality assurance program satisfies industry requirements and client expectations. This position provides strategic guidance to project engineers to ensure effective implementation of the quality program. You will work closely with the MPR leadership team to ensure appropriate corrective actions and continual improvement activities are implemented effectively.

You'll support quality assurance processes across projects in diverse regulated industries including nuclear reactor technologies (advanced fission, fusion, operating plants, research facilities) and medical devices. You'll serve as an internal QA resource ensuring deliverables meet regulatory requirements and quality standards, occasionally advising clients on QA implementation strategies. Supporting a broad client base means enabling engineers' interactions with technology developers, manufacturers, regulators, and research institutions while gaining exposure to multiple technologies and markets. You'll also have autonomy to identify and implement process improvements that strengthen MPR's quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform internal audits of the MPR quality program.
• Perform supplier qualification activities, including on-site audits of suppliers.
• Play a key role on the MPR Corrective Action Review Team—define corrective actions and process improvement initiatives, verify their implementation, and assess their effectiveness.
• Evaluate changes to industry standards to assess the impact on the MPR quality program.
• Perform trend analyses of metrics used to measure quality program performance, supplier performance, and client satisfaction.
• Perform general and project-specific oversight to ensure quality program requirements are implemented properly.
• Review documentation to ensure contractual and quality program requirements are understood and satisfied.
• Review hardware and software test procedures and results to ensure compliance with the MPR quality program.
• Assemble information needed to support management review meetings, prepare the resulting report, and follow up on assigned actions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field, or equivalent technical experience.
• Professional certification(s) or training related to ASME NQA-1, ISO 13485, or ISO 9001 are desired.
• Two or more years of experience in a technical organization performing engineering or manufacturing related activities is preferred.
• Prior experience as a quality professional working under an ASME NQA-1, ISO 13485, or ISO 9001 based quality program with experience in performing audits and implementing corrective action and process improvement is preferred.
• Prior experience with U.S. military quality assurance programs is a plus (such as the Navy Nuclear Quality Assurance program).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, such as MS Outlook, Word, and Excel is required.

Skills

• Persistent, questioning attitude and the ability to accept that in others.
• Ability to multi-task across teams of engineers and managers on various projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across functional teams.
• Ability to accept and grow from constructive feedback.
• Motivated to expand skills and knowledge, as well as tackle new problems and take on new responsibilities.
• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Solution oriented with a goal of enabling client success.

About MPR

Founded in 1964, MPR Associates provides independent engineering and consulting services to clients in the power and energy, federal, and life sciences sectors. The firm operates throughout the United States and internationally, delivering safe and reliable technical solutions across the entire project lifecycle. Independence from any single technology vendor or corporate parent allows objective technical advice and broad expertise across the nuclear industry.

The culture values technical rigor and first-principles thinking over vendor procedures or corporate mandates. You'll work alongside bright, motivated engineers and project managers across mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, and materials disciplines. Questioning attitudes and constructive feedback are valued; technical accuracy matters more than hierarchy. It's a high-performance culture built on trust and respect since 1964.

Career Development

Establish yourself as a recognized QA authority across regulated industries—nuclear and medical device—not just within one technology or compliance framework. You'll maintain professional breadth that keeps you relevant regardless of which technologies succeed commercially, while growing as a leader through mentorship of junior engineers, quality system management, internal and client engagement, and process development initiatives.