Quality Project Lead

Job Description

Quality Project Lead

Location: Hybrid, based from one of our offices in Derby, Manchester or Warrington

About Us

Rolls-Royce SMR is here to transform how nuclear energy is delivered-cleaner, faster and at global scale. Our teams are developing one of the world’s most advanced small modular reactors, helping secure affordable, low-carbon energy for generations to come. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

Role Summary

The Quality Project Lead is responsible for facilitating the effective implementation of quality arrangements across assigned contracts, work packages, and programme areas.

Reporting into the Quality Manager (Projects), the QPL ensures that quality requirements are embedded throughout the full lifecycle from design and procurement through manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and handover.

The role supports readiness activities, coordination of surveillance, and verification of compliance to nuclear quality standards, acting as a key link between engineering, manufacturing operations, supply chain, projects, and the wider quality organisation.

What we’ll need you to do:

• Short Term Goals 0 - 6 Months
  • Develop a strong understanding of assigned contracts, work packages, and programme scopes.
  • Establish working relationships with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, project management, and quality teams.
  • Support long-term industrialisation and standardisation of quality across future SMR deployments.
  • Review existing internal and customer deliverables.
  • Identify immediate gaps or risks in quality implementation.
  • Participate in early surveillance and assurance planning.
  • Assist in technical quality reviews and documentation assessments.
  • Support internal readiness audits already scheduled.
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• Mid Term Goals 6-18 Months
  • Work with teams to ensure consistent application of nuclear quality standards across our projects and programmes
  • Drive closure of early risks and nonconformances.
  • Coordinate surveillance activities across internal functions.
  • Improve the quality, completeness, and traceability of assurance evidence.
  • Understand how quality readiness is assessed across teams.
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• Long-Term Goals 18+ months
  • Champion continuous improvement and nuclear quality mindset across project delivery
  • Ensure readiness processes are fully integrated into programme delivery cycles.
  • Achieve high consistency and predictability in quality evidence generation.
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  • Support readiness for external regulatory engagements and major project milestones.

Quality Implementation & Oversight

• Support and assess the effectiveness of the implementation of quality arrangements within assigned contracts and work packages.
• Ensure suppliers, contractors, and internal teams understand and correctly apply nuclear quality requirements.
• Identify gaps, weaknesses, or risks in quality implementation and support corrective or improvement actions.

Readiness Coordination

• Support readiness processes to ensure that quality deliverables, documentation, and surveillance evidence are embedded throughout the business
• Support the implementation of projects including industrialisation throughout the organisation.
• Provide technical support to customer deliverables
• Work with engineering, supply chain, and project delivery teams to confirm quality readiness through the lifecycle of the product

Technical Assurance & Compliance

• Support technical assurance activities such as audits, reviews, technical assessments, and verification validation activities.
• Perform technical quality reviews of engineering documentation and evidence to ensure compliance with nuclear safety and quality frameworks.
• Identify and escalate technical risks, issues, and non-conformances, supporting resolution and corrective actions.

Interface and Collaboration

• Work closely with other quality resources (e.g., Quality Technical Leads, Supplier Quality, NCR teams) to support consistent and effective quality implementation.
• Engage effectively with engineering, project managers, operations and supply chain personnel to clarify expectations and resolve issues quickly.
• Provide quality support and representation in technical, design, planning, reviews

Surveillance, Assurance & Compliance

• Support the implementation of surveillance activities throughout the organisation and across assigned contracts and work packages.
• Review and assess technical documentation (e.g., ITPs, quality plans, inspection records etc).
• Identify non-conformances, escalate risks, and support close out through corrective actions.
• Ensure that quality documentation, evidence, and records produced during manufacturing, installation, and commissioning meet Life-Time Quality Record (LTQR) requirements.
• Support the roll-out of new quality standards, procedures, and tools across the programme

Key Skills & Experience

• Strong technical background within nuclear engineering and quality assurance.

• Experience applying nuclear or defence codes and standards (e.g., ASME, RCC M, ISO, ONR TAGs etc).

• Understanding of nuclear safety principles, quality assurance frameworks, and regulatory compliance.

• Experience in technical reviews, assurance activities, and documentation assessment.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non technical stakeholders.

• High attention to detail with strong problem solving and analytical abilities

What’s in It for You

A salary between £50,650 - £66,500, £2,200 benefit allowance, 12.5% bonus opportunity, 6x pensionable life assurance, 50% income protection, 28 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, and a £250 new-joiner payment-alongside opportunities for development and progression.

Selection Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a competency-based interview and may be asked to provide evidence of document management capability. This role requires BPSS checks as part of our onboarding process.

Inclusion & Accessibility

We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. If you meet around 75% of the criteria, we’d still love to hear from you. We’re happy to discuss reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and offer flexible or part-time working where possible..

Pay Range:

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Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch - we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check

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