Build Quality Engineer II

About Us At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass‑producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space. Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Los Alamos, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. Antares has raised over $130M in venture capital from top‑tier investors and has over $13M in government funding. About the Role We are seeking a passionate Build Quality Engineer committed to turning engineering designs into reliable, high-quality products. This role focuses on developing and implementing rigorous quality processes that meet or exceed nuclear industry standards. The ideal candidate will leverage their manufacturing experience and analytical skills to ensure reliability throughout production, supply chain, and testing phases. Roles and Responsibilities Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive quality processes, including production nonconformance management, calibrated hardware procedures, and certification processes for commercial materials in nuclear applications Drive quality assurance within the supply chain, ensuring effective supplier qualification and ongoing performance monitoring Lead or support root‑cause investigations related to manufacturing, production, and testing issues, applying a strong first‑principle problem‑solving approach Collaborate closely with engineering, production, and supply chain teams to proactively identify and mitigate quality risks Ensure adherence to nuclear industry standards and regulatory requirements through effective quality management systems and continuous process improvement Document quality procedures, processes, and findings clearly and comprehensively for internal and external stakeholders Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Engineering or related discipline) 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment as a Manufacturing Engineer, Test Engineer, Reliability Engineer, or Quality Engineer Preferred Skills & Experience Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with an emphasis on root‑cause analysis and first‑principle thinking Effective communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work cross‑functionally Experience within the nuclear industry or other highly regulated environments Strong knowledge of quality management principles, practices, and industry‑specific standards (preferably nuclear or similarly regulated industries) Proven experience in developing quality processes and managing production nonconformances Familiarity with supplier qualification processes and supply chain quality management Knowledge of calibrated hardware management and certification processes Additional Requirements Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones Location The Antares HQ is located in Torrance, CA in a 145,000 square foot, brand new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our HQ is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises. Culture Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path‑dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. “If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete.” Over‑optimizing the components often degrades the system Obsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's “how it's always been done” Go Where the Work I s - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption Engineer II Comp Range: $115K - $150K Senior Engineer Comp Range: $140K - $185K Equal Opportunity Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. #J-18808-Ljbffr