Nuclear Quality Assurance Manager in Walkden

The Nuclear Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for establishing, implementing, and maintaining a compliant Nuclear Quality Management Programme based on customer and UK regulatory requirements. This role provides independent Quality Assurance and Control oversight across nuclear projects, suppliers, and internal execution teams, ensuring that related work is planned, performed, documented, and verified in full regulatory compliance, including ownership and maintenance of the Project Nuclear Quality Policy, Quality Manual and implementing procedures. Aligned to UK nuclear regulatory expectations, including ONR licensing framework and site license conditions.

Scope & Focus: The position supports detailed design engineering phase of work, new build/construction phase of work, including advanced reactor, fuel cycle, life extension, and decommissioning projects. Responsible for interfaces with clients, regulators, suppliers, and project leadership.

Responsibilities

• Nuclear Quality Assurance Programme Leadership: Establish, implement, and maintain the Nuclear Quality Management Programme aligned with applicable nuclear regulatory requirements. Maintain nuclear Quality governance, procedures, training, audit programmes, inspection programmes and records management. Define and enforce required nuclear records lifecycle controls (creation, review/approval, retention, retrieval) to ensure traceability and audit readiness. Ensure effective integration of the Project Nuclear Quality Assurance & Control Programmes, aligned with Worley’s Quality Management System. Serve as the UK location authority for nuclear Quality policy, interpretation, and application; maintain necessary governance programmes to meet regulatory requirements. Serve as the primary interface for certification, surveillance audits, corrective actions, and certificate maintenance.
• Regulatory Compliance & Interfaces: Ensure compliance with applicable nuclear regulatory requirements. Support related inspections, audits, regulatory interactions, and record maintenance. Identify, evaluate, report, and resolve issues and conditions adverse to quality. Oversee digital/software quality assurance controls for nuclear-related engineering, procurement and construction, performance reporting trending/analysis, inspection records, and data systems in accordance with project requirements. Provide regulatory-defensible quality compliance status for project and executive leadership.
• Project & Supplier Quality Oversight: Provide independent quality oversight to nuclear projects across project management, detailed design and engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and/or decommissioning. Ensure outcomes comply with the approved licensing basis and Nuclear programmes and customer requirements. Review and approve project Quality Plans, Inspection and Test Plans, and nuclear quality procedures, confirming alignment with requirements and regulatory requirements. Oversee supplier qualification, audits, surveillances, and corrective actions for safety-related and commercial-grade items. Support interfaces with procurement/commercial teams on nuclear quality flow-down and supplier compliance requirements.
• Audits, Assessments & Corrective Action: Plan and lead internal, supplier, and project audits and surveillances. Verify quality records completeness, traceability, retention, and turnover readiness in support of project/client requirements and regulatory audits. Ensure timely identification, documentation, and closure of nonconformances (NCR) and corrective action requests (AR). Drive continuous improvement through trend analysis, lessons learned, and value creation programme enhancements. Establish quality-related performance KPIs and management review reporting to drive programme effectiveness.
• Training, Culture & Capability Building: Develop and deliver nuclear sector quality training to project teams, suppliers, and management as deemed necessary. Establish nuclear quality induction and role-based qualification requirements and track completion and refresher training requirements. Ensure that the quality programme embraces governance to support a strong nuclear safety culture based on ONR. Mentor and guide quality professionals and matrixed project teams.
• Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Interface with senior leadership, clients, regulators, partners, and external auditors. Conduct and report management assessments of Nuclear Quality Programme effectiveness, identifying systemic risks and improvement actions. Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on nuclear quality, compliance, and delivery risk. Support business development and proposal efforts by defining nuclear quality submission requirements, approaches and compliance strategies.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or related technical discipline; Advanced degree preferred in Nuclear industry/power generation sector.
• Extensive experience in nuclear quality assurance and control in the UK.
• Experience establishing, maintaining, or managing programmes in compliance with local nuclear regulatory requirements.
• Working knowledge of IAEA standards, ISO 9001, ISO 19443, UK nuclear regulatory requirements; experience with ASME NQA-1 and 10 CFR 50 Appendix B where required.
• Experience supporting nuclear regulated projects, including audits and inspections in alignment with ISO 9001 and ISO 19443.
• Background in EPC, EPCm, Detailed Design/Engineer, utility, fuel cycle, or nuclear supplier environments/power generation.

Technical & Regulatory Expertise

• ONR expectations and regulatory interfaces
• ISO 9001; ISO 19443
• 10 CFR 50 Appendix B QA criteria (where relevant)
• ASME NQA-1 QA programme requirements
• Nuclear procurement, supplier qualification, and commercial-grade dedication
• IAEA standards for nuclear safety
• Root cause analysis, non-conformance investigation and quality trending
• Technical writing, procedure development, and records management

Certifications (Preferred)

• ISO 9001 / ISO 19443 Lead Auditor (preferred)
• ASME NQA-1 Lead Auditor where required by project
• Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence or equivalent

Skills & Attributes

• High integrity, independence, and professional judgment
• Strong leadership and stakeholder-management capability
• Ability to influence without direct authority in matrix organizations
• Clear, concise communicator with executives, regulators, and technical teams
• Willingness to travel domestically and globally in support of nuclear projects and suppliers
• Collaborative, team-oriented attitude