Senior Quality Assurance Manager - Nuclear Projects

About the role

The Senior Quality Assurance Manager will lead the quality organization supporting a major active construction project in Aiken, South Carolina. This position requires a leader who understands active construction and understands rigorous quality standards while fostering collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and management of the project/site Quality Assurance and Quality Control organization.
• Mentor, assign, and coordinate QA/QC personnel supporting active construction activities.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, qualification, training, and deployment of quality personnel based on project needs.
• Implement and maintain the project Quality Assurance Plan in accordance with contractual, client, regulatory, and nuclear quality requirements.
• Serve as the primary senior-level interface with the client on quality matters, concerns, performance, and resolution of significant issues.
• Work directly with senior project and construction leadership to integrate quality requirements into project planning and field execution.
• Lead quality leadership for major civil, subgrade, foundation, structural concrete, mechanical, electrical, fabrication, and installation activities.
• Oversee project audits, surveillances, assessments, inspections, and quality performance monitoring.
• Represent the project during client, regulatory, supplier, and internal quality audits and assessments.
• Provide oversight of nonconformances, corrective actions, conditions adverse to quality, and associated root-cause and resolution processes.
• Evaluate subcontractor and supplier quality performance and ensure appropriate corrective measures are implemented when necessary.
• Review and approve project/site quality procedures and other quality-related documentation.
• Ensure fabrication and installation quality activities are properly planned, controlled, documented, and accepted.
• Maintain appropriate independence of the Quality organization while building productive relationships with construction and project personnel.
• Promote a culture of quality ownership, accountability, collaboration, and proactive problem-solving throughout the project.

Requirements

• Extensive Quality Assurance/Quality Control leadership experience supporting large, complex construction projects.
• Significant experience within nuclear construction or another highly regulated nuclear environment.
• Strong working knowledge and practical implementation experience with ASME NQA-1.
• Demonstrated experience managing QA/QC personnel, including developing teams, assigning resources, evaluating performance, and maintaining personnel qualifications.
• Strong construction knowledge with experience involving civil/sitework, subgrade preparation, foundations, reinforcing steel, formwork, embeds, structural concrete, and associated inspection/testing requirements.
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting quality audits, surveillances, assessments, nonconformance programs, and corrective action processes.
• Strong understanding of construction drawings, specifications, procedures, codes, and contractual quality requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with project management, construction leadership, engineering, procurement, subcontractors, and field supervision.
• Significant client-facing experience, including presenting quality issues, resolving disagreements, responding to concerns, and representing the organization with senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to maintain appropriate QA independence while supporting timely and successful construction execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, quality, or a related technical discipline is preferred, along with significant progressive experience in construction Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
• An equivalent combination of education, technical training, certifications, and substantial relevant construction/nuclear quality experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a federal General Contractor or major federal construction program.
• Experience with large-scale nuclear construction projects, including backgrounds comparable to major commercial nuclear programs such as Vogtle.
• Experience with major concrete, civil, or foundation contractors supporting large industrial or federal construction.
• Working knowledge of 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, 10 CFR Part 21, and 10 CFR 830.
• Experience developing, implementing, or managing project-specific Quality Assurance Plans and procedures.
• Experience interacting directly with customers, regulatory authorities, subcontractors, suppliers, and senior project leadership.
• ASME NQA-1 Lead Auditor qualification/certification or comparable nuclear quality auditing experience is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of applicable AWS, AISC, and ACI requirements.
• Relevant quality, auditing, inspection, welding, or concrete certifications are a plus.