External Quality Assurance Lead

External Quality Assurance Lead

Santa Clara, CA or Remote

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for an External Quality Assurance Lead to join our team.

This is NOT a software quality role. We will not be reviewing applications that are closely related to technical software skillsets.

Position Description

The External Quality Assurance Lead is responsible for providing senior-level oversight of external suppliers supporting our advanced nuclear reactors and other related projects. This role is responsible for leading nuclear quality audits, qualifying and monitoring suppliers, and ensuring purchased materials, equipment, software, and services conform to applicable quality, regulatory, technical, and procurement requirements.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Serve as a Lead Auditor for external supplier audits, including audit planning, team coordination, checklist development, entrance and exit meetings, evaluation of objective evidence, issuance of audit reports, and verification of corrective-action closure.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to audit team members and internal stakeholders on audit practices, supplier oversight expectations, procurement quality controls, and evidence-based assessment methods.
• Manage supplier evaluations and qualifications, including initial qualification, requalification, scope changes, technical capability reviews, QA program evaluations, and maintenance of the approved supplier list.
• Manage supplier nonconformances, audit findings, corrective-action requests, and supplier performance issues from identification through causal evaluation, corrective action, effectiveness review, and closure.
• Develop and maintain the annual and long-range supplier audit and surveillance schedule using risk, safety significance, procurement scope, supplier performance, and project needs.
• Plan and perform supplier surveillances, source inspections, witness and hold-point oversight, and performance-based assessments at supplier facilities.
• Review supplier quality assurance programs, procedures, records, and implementation for alignment with applicable requirements, including ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B, procurement quality clauses, and contractual commitments.
• Partner with Procurement and Engineering to define and flow down procurement quality requirements, acceptance criteria, documentation requirements, special process requirements, inspection requirements, and applicable Part 21 obligations.
• Support evaluation of deviations, defects, counterfeit/fraudulent/suspect items, and supplier-reported issues, including escalation to appropriate internal stakeholders for Part 21 or other reportability screening when applicable.
• Ensure supplier documentation and records, such as certificates of conformance, material certifications, inspection records, test reports, calibration records, special process qualifications, and traceability records, are complete and acceptable before use or acceptance.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics, trends, and risks; prepare supplier quality status reports; and recommend supplier restrictions, corrective actions, disqualification, or enhanced oversight when warranted.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of supplier quality procedures, audit tools, checklists, qualification criteria, and oversight processes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Current documented qualification as an NQA-1 Lead Auditor, with the ability to perform all duties of a Lead Auditor under the company quality assurance program.
• Working knowledge of 10CFR50 Appendix B, ASME NQA-1 and nuclear quality assurance program implementation, including audit planning, audit performance, objective evidence review, finding development, reporting, and corrective-action closure.
• Experience evaluating suppliers, supplier QA programs, quality records, procurement requirements, and implementation of quality controls for safety-related or quality-affecting items and services.
• Experience managing supplier oversight activities such as surveillances, source inspections, nonconformances, corrective actions, and supplier performance reviews.
• Ability to interpret technical and quality requirements in purchase orders, specifications, drawings, procedures, codes, standards, and supplier quality documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write clear audit reports, document findings, lead supplier meetings, and communicate risk-based recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound quality judgment, and escalate supplier quality risks appropriately.
• Willingness and ability to travel to supplier locations, including domestic and occasional international travel, as business needs require.

Bonus Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, quality, physical sciences, nuclear technology, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience supporting advanced reactor, small modular reactor, microreactor, nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear construction, or nuclear manufacturing programs.
• Experience with commercial grade dedication, item/service classification, critical characteristics, special processes, source verification, or supplier technical evaluations.
• Experience overseeing suppliers performing welding, nondestructive examination, heat treatment, machining, fabrication, software, engineering services, or other quality-affecting work.
• Certification or training in root cause analysis, corrective action program management, ISO 9001 auditing, ASME Section III, pressure boundary components, or nuclear procurement quality.
• Experience developing supplier quality procedures, audit checklists, qualification scorecards, risk models, and supplier performance metrics.
• Experience mentoring auditors or leading multi-discipline audit teams.

Competencies

We are looking for an External Quality Assurance Lead that is:

• Well-versed in nuclear QA regulations, standards and codes
• A proponent of a strong nuclear safety culture
• Able to apply a graded approach to quality assurance
• Confident while communicating with technical teams, suppliers, and leadership
• A professional who values integrity above all else
• Passionate about clean energy
• An optimist at heart
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won't enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn't about a fake or arbitrary "pieces of flair" mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren't about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren't about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $120,000 - $140,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to