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Now hiring · $120k–$155k / year
Lead Auditor — ASME NQA-1 Nuclear Quality Assurance
The Lead Auditor owns the audit program under our nuclear quality assurance program, written to ASME NQA-1 (Part I Requirement 18, Audits; Requirement 2, Qualification of Personnel; Part II Subpart 2.23, Qualification of Lead Auditors). You plan the annual audit schedule, lead internal audits and supplier audits with a team of auditors and technical specialists, write the audit reports, and verify corrective actions to closure. On projects you are the person a licensee's quality organization audits against, so your records, your qualification file, and your independence from the work audited are what the job is built on.
What you'll do
- Plan and maintain the audit schedule for the nuclear QA program: internal audits of every applicable NQA-1 requirement and supplier audits on the frequency the program and the approved supplier list require
- Lead audits end to end — notification, checklist, entrance meeting, objective evidence, findings, exit meeting, report — and supervise auditors and technical specialists on the audit team
- Evaluate and audit suppliers of safety-related items and services; recommend approved-supplier-list additions, conditions, and removals; perform surveillances
- Classify findings, issue corrective-action requests, verify effectiveness of corrective actions, and close them with objective evidence
- Maintain lead-auditor and auditor qualification records (training, audit participation, annual evaluation) and support owner, licensee, and NUPIC-style audits of our own program
What we're looking for
- Current qualification as an NQA-1 Lead Auditor, or qualifiable within 90 days: documented training in auditing, participation in a minimum number of audits, and a written examination per NQA-1 Part II Subpart 2.23 (we administer the exam)
- 5+ years in nuclear quality assurance, with hands-on experience auditing to 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, 10 CFR 21, and NQA-1 — a licensee, EPC, or supplier quality organization
- Working knowledge of construction materials testing, special inspection, or geotechnical services strongly preferred; ASQ CQA a plus
- Writes audit reports that an NRC inspector could follow without a conversation; comfortable delivering findings to the people who caused them
What a week in this job looks like
A typical week has one audit in flight: the checklist and notification went out two weeks ago, you spend two or three days on site collecting objective evidence with your team, you hold the exit meeting, and the draft report is written before you leave. The rest of the week is the program: a supplier evaluation for a calibration vendor, a corrective-action verification that needs a visit to the lab, the annual auditor evaluations, and the schedule for next quarter.
Findings are the product. A finding that is specific, tied to a requirement, and supported by evidence gets fixed; one that is vague gets argued about. You write the first kind.
Compensation
Salary runs $120,000 to $155,000 depending on qualification history and the scope of the audit program you have run. Travel is reimbursed at actuals with per diem.
Texas positions are based at the Sugar Land headquarters; positions in other markets are based at the regional office for that market or at the project, with travel to Sugar Land for program reviews and to supplier facilities as scheduled.
Independence and what you can expect from us
Lead auditors do not audit work they performed or supervised, and the audit program reports outside the line organization it audits. You will have the authority the program gives you — including stopping work on a nonconforming activity until it is dispositioned — and the backing to use it.
How hiring works, and our commitment
Apply with your qualification records (training, audit log, evaluations), the programs you have audited, and two audit reports you wrote (redacted as needed). Expect a direct conversation with the people you would work for, references that get called, and a written offer consistent with this posting. The role requires a valid driver's license, scheduled travel to project sites and supplier facilities, and pre-employment screening consistent with nuclear-industry client requirements, which may include a background investigation and fitness-for-duty program.
We are an equal opportunity employer and consider every applicant without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
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FAQ
Lead Auditor — ASME NQA-1 Nuclear Quality Assurance — questions applicants ask
What does a Lead Auditor — ASME NQA-1 Nuclear Quality Assurance earn?
The listed range is $120k–$155k / year, set by certifications held, years of documented field or laboratory experience, and the hub's market. Certified candidates enter above the bottom of the range.
What certifications matter most for a Lead Auditor — ASME NQA-1 Nuclear Quality Assurance?
Lead Auditor qualification per ASME NQA-1 Part II Subpart 2.23 is required to lead audits under the program: documented auditor training, participation in audits as a team member, an annual evaluation, and a written exam. ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) is a plus but does not substitute. The company maintains your qualification file and pays for the training and renewals the program requires.
Which standards does a Lead Auditor — ASME NQA-1 Nuclear Quality Assurance work to?
ASME NQA-1 (current edition and any addenda the program commits to), 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, 10 CFR 21, and the project-specific quality requirements flowed down by the licensee or EPC. The testing and inspection work being audited runs to ASTM and ACI standards under our AASHTO R18 quality system; the lead auditor audits the nuclear program's implementation of all of it.
How do I apply?
Use the form on any city listing for this role: name, phone, email, years of experience, certifications, and a resume file or link. A hiring manager responds within a few business days. If you would rather talk first, call (346) 420-5425.
Where is this role based?
Wherever the project is. Choose the city page nearest you; Houston-area roles dispatch from Sugar Land, and roles in other metros are staffed through the regional hub that covers them.