Nuclear QA Director

Natura Resources is seeking a Nuclear QA Director to lead the development, implementation, and execution of Natura’s nuclear QA program in support of the MSR-1 project and related advanced reactor activities. The Nuclear QA Director is responsible for establishing and maintaining a practical, credible, and compliant QA program that supports engineering, procurement, licensing, construction, testing, supplier oversight, and operational readiness. This role ensures quality requirements are clearly defined, implemented, independently verified, and integrated into day-to-day project execution.

The Nuclear QA Director provides leadership for Natura’s QA program and serves as the primary owner for QA implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement. The role translates applicable nuclear quality requirements into workable procedures, expectations, and oversight practices that enable execution while maintaining appropriate rigor and independence.

This position works closely with project leadership, engineering, licensing, procurement, document control, records management, suppliers, and executive leadership to ensure QA requirements are understood and applied consistently. The role will lead or support, as assigned, the development, maintenance, and implementation of the QA Program Description, implementing procedures, supplier quality controls, audits and assessments, corrective action, procurement quality, and quality records expectations.

The successful candidate must be able to apply a risk-informed, graded approach that maintains compliance while scaling QA expectations appropriately to project phase, item classification, supplier risk, and quality significance.

Location: Abilene, TX / Hybrid

Employment Status: Full-Time

Benefits: Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance, 401(k), Paid Time Off (PTO)

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Role Authority

This role has direct independent access to senior executive leadership for quality concerns, nonconforming conditions, unresolved corrective actions, or issues that could affect safety, licensing, regulatory commitments, supplier quality, or QA program effectiveness.

The role has authority to establish and oversee QA program requirements, identify quality concerns, require corrective actions, pause or stop work when quality requirements are not met, and independently elevate quality issues when necessary.

Responsibilities

QA Program Development and Implementation

Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of Natura’s nuclear QA program, including the QA Program Description, implementing procedures, forms, records, training, oversight activities, and project execution expectations. Establish practical implementation methods for applicable requirements, including NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B when invoked, ANS-15.8 where applicable, licensing commitments, client requirements, supplier requirements, and internal project expectations.

QA Oversight, Assessment, and Corrective Action

Plan and perform QA oversight activities, including audits, surveillances, assessments, document reviews, supplier evaluations, and implementation checks. Identify gaps, document issues, require corrective actions, and verify effective resolution. Manage or support nonconformances, conditions adverse to quality, audit findings, extent-of-condition reviews, recurrence prevention, and corrective action effectiveness.

Procurement and Supplier Quality

Lead or support supplier quality activities, including QA applicability determinations, supplier qualification, procurement document reviews, quality clauses, acceptance criteria, required records, source surveillance, receipt inspection expectations, supplier audits, nonconformance control, and supplier corrective action. Ensure quality-affecting procurements are properly planned before purchase orders are issued.

Document, Records, and Project Integration

Support the development and review of QA implementing procedures, project procedures, procurement documents, work instructions, specifications, technical documents, and quality records. Work with document control and records management personnel to ensure controlled documents, objective evidence, approvals, and retention requirements are properly established and maintained.

Work across project leadership, engineering, licensing, procurement, operations readiness, R&D, chemistry, suppliers, and contractors to ensure QA requirements are integrated into planning and execution. Provide practical guidance so teams understand how to perform quality-affecting work correctly.

Team Leadership and QA Culture

Build and lead the QA function as the organization grows. Identify staffing needs, define roles and responsibilities, mentor personnel, support training and qualification, and establish repeatable practices for QA execution. Promote a QA culture that is independent, technically credible, risk-informed, and focused on enabling compliant execution without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in nuclear QA or closely related regulated quality roles, including supplier quality, engineering QA, construction QA, or quality program implementation in a high-consequence environment.
• Direct experience implementing or supporting a nuclear QA program, preferably under NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, DOE nuclear requirements, NRC-regulated programs, or equivalent quality frameworks.
• Strong working knowledge of QA program implementation, audits, assessments, corrective action, nonconformance control, procurement quality, supplier oversight, document control, and records management.
• Experience reviewing procedures, procurement documents, technical documents, quality records, and objective evidence for compliance with QA requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to identify quality gaps, challenge inadequate implementation, and drive corrective actions to closure.
• Strong communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and organizational skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, quality, construction management, project management, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, ANS-15.8, DOE nuclear expectations, NRC licensing environments, or advanced reactor projects.
• Experience developing or standing up a nuclear QA program from an early-stage or startup environment.
• Experience supporting first-of-a-kind technology projects, research reactors, advanced reactors, molten salt systems, nuclear suppliers, EPC projects, or DOE demonstration activities.
• Experience performing or leading supplier audits, internal audits, commercial-grade dedication reviews, source surveillances, receipt inspections, or readiness assessments.
• Experience with design control, configuration management, software QA, procurement engineering, M&TE, inspections, testing, or operational readiness.
• NQA-1 Lead Auditor qualification, nuclear lead auditor qualification, ASQ certification, or similar quality certification.
• Prior experience managing QA personnel or building a QA team.

Physical Demands

Frequent travel to project sites, Natura offices, supplier facilities, stakeholder meetings, and partner locations may be required. The role may require participation in audits, surveillances, supplier assessments, field walkdowns, receipt inspections, project reviews, and site-based execution activities.

Must be capable of working in office, project site, laboratory, industrial, and construction-adjacent environments as needed. Occasional lifting of technical materials up to 40 lbs may be required.