What is the Opportunity?The Quality Manager is responsible for leading the quality strategy for US New Nuclear Development (NND) projects during the bid and definition phases, working closely with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders to establish the quality approach, project-specific requirements, and delivery expectations.
This role ensures quality requirements are defined early and translated into bid submissions, execution strategies, design inputs, supplier requirements, and project governance frameworks in alignment with nuclear regulatory requirements, codes, standards, and contractual obligations. For Aecon US New Nuclear Development (NND), the role also supports alignment with U.S. nuclear quality expectations, including NRC-related commitments, NQA-1, ASME, client requirements, and applicable project-specific quality obligations.
Reporting to the Aecon US Quality Director and matrix to NND Leadership, the Quality Manager is a key member of the Project Management Team. The Quality Manager provides leadership across project development activities to ensure quality is embedded in client discussions, partner interfaces, bid planning, scope definition, procurement strategies, execution readiness, construction planning, fabrication, field execution, system turnover, commissioning readiness, and handover planning.
What You'll Do Here:Bid-Phase Quality Strategy, Requirements Development & Project Governance
- Lead development of the project quality strategy for US NND opportunities during bid and definition phases, aligned to client expectations, partner delivery models, NQA-1, ASME, regulatory commitments, and contractual requirements.
- Work with clients, partners, Aecon US Quality, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Commercial, and Project Management to define project-specific quality requirements and ensure they are incorporated into bid submissions, execution strategies, design criteria, procurement documents, and partner scopes.
- Develop Project Quality Plans and Project Specific Procedures to establish the quality governance framework, documentation expectations, records strategy, audit and surveillance approach, and oversight model required to support successful project execution and future regulatory and client assurance needs.
- Apply graded quality principles based on safety significance, first-of-a-kind risk, constructability, delivery model, and project complexity.
New Build Execution, Fabrication & Field Quality Oversight
- Provide quality leadership across US NND construction, modularization, fabrication, installation, inspection, testing, and turnover activities.
- Ensure work is executed in accordance with approved procedures, drawings, specifications, inspection plans, and hold/witness points.
- Lead quality presence in the field through inspections, surveillances, coaching, and engagement with supervisors, craft, subcontractors, and partners.
- Partner with Construction, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Project Management to prevent defects, protect schedule certainty, and reduce rework on US NND projects.
- Maintain authority to stop work when quality requirements, regulatory obligations, or approved procedures are not being met.
Nonconformance & Corrective Action Management
- Oversee identification, documentation, disposition, and resolution of nonconformances.
- Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action implementation.
- Ensure timely closure of corrective actions with demonstrated effectiveness and appropriate documentation.
- Identify trends and drive systemic improvements across project execution, supplier quality, and field quality performance.
Supplier, Fabrication & Subcontractor Quality Assurance
- Support evaluation of partners, suppliers, fabricators, and subcontractors during bid and project definition activities to ensure quality expectations, program maturity, and oversight requirements are understood early.
- Work with clients, partners, Procurement, Engineering, and Supply Chain to define quality requirements for major suppliers, fabrication scopes, modularization, and subcontracted work.
- Ensure bid packages, technical specifications, partner scopes, vendor scopes, and procurement documents clearly reflect applicable quality obligations, inspection requirements, documentation expectations, and acceptance criteria.
- Identify quality-related delivery risks in partner and supplier strategies and support mitigation planning before execution begins.
Audits, Assessments & Regulatory Interface
- Support development and execution of audit, surveillance, and assurance strategies appropriate for the proposed project delivery model and quality requirements.
- Engage with clients, partners, regulators, and other external stakeholders to align on quality expectations, assurance approaches, and readiness requirements during bid, definition, and execution phases.
- Act as a primary point of contact for quality-related discussions with client representatives and partner organizations during project development and execution.
- Identify potential quality, regulatory, documentation, or governance gaps early and support actions to address them before execution planning is finalized.
US NND Project Integration & Interface Management
- Work closely with Engineering, Project Management, Procurement, Commercial, Construction, Commissioning, and partner teams to embed quality requirements across bid development, scope definition, delivery strategy, and execution planning.
- Support development of quality-related inputs to project risk assessments, partnering strategies, governance models, execution plans, and readiness reviews.
- Provide input into planning, sequencing, supplier strategy, fabrication strategy, field execution, and delivery strategy from a quality and assurance perspective.
- Help define the quality foundations needed for future system turnover, commissioning readiness, handover, and records management.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead and develop a team of quality professionals, including Quality Engineers, Quality Supervisors, Inspectors, Coordinators, and other quality support roles as assigned.
- Ensure project quality personnel are trained, qualified, competent, and assigned appropriate quality program roles on projects.
- Foster a strong nuclear safety and quality culture across the project.
- Provide coaching to field leadership and project teams on procedural adherence, quality expectations, documentation discipline, and right-first-time behaviors.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, performance development, and succession planning for assigned quality personnel.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Direct oversight of Quality Engineers, Quality Supervisors, Inspectors, Coordinators, and other assigned project quality personnel.
- Functional leadership to project personnel on quality-related matters.
- Influence across cross-functional teams, including Construction, Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, Commissioning, Project Controls, and partners.
What You Bring to the Team:Education & Certifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quality Management, Physical Science, or a related discipline.
- Professional certification such as PE/P.Eng., CQE, ASQ certification, Lead Auditor, or equivalent considered an asset.
- Qualifications and experience necessary to obtain NQA-1 ANSI N45.2.6 Lead Auditor Certification or equivalent audit experience preferred.
Experience & Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive experience in quality, engineering, construction, fabrication, or project delivery within nuclear or other highly regulated project environments.
- Demonstrated experience developing quality strategies, requirements, and governance approaches for nuclear new build, refurbishment, major modifications, or complex highly regulated project scopes.
- Experience supporting large, complex EPC, infrastructure, US NND, first-of-a-kind delivery, or major nuclear construction programs.
- Strong understanding of nuclear codes, standards, regulatory expectations, and QA program requirements applicable to US NND projects.
- Direct experience and knowledge implementing quality management systems and industry standards, primarily NQA-1, ISO 9001, ASME, and applicable client or regulatory requirements. Knowledge and experience in CSA N286 and N299 would also be beneficial.
- Strong experience translating regulatory, client, and partner quality expectations into practical project requirements, governance models, and delivery strategies.
- Experience evaluating suppliers, subcontractors, partners, and fabrication facilities for quality program maturity, inspection readiness, and documentation compliance.
- Experience with audits, surveillances, nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action management, and effectiveness reviews.
- Ability to work effectively in a field-driven, fast-paced project environment with site, office, and fabrication facility interfaces.
- Strong leadership, communication, facilitation, stakeholder management, documentation, and technical writing skills.
- High attention to detail with strong documentation, traceability, records, and configuration control discipline.
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality/document management systems.
- Valid driver's license, as required for project travel.
Additional Requirements
- Ability to obtain and maintain required nuclear site access authorization and security clearance, where applicable.
- Ability to satisfy applicable export control requirements.
- Regular travel required across project locations, vendor sites, offices, and fabrication facilities.
- Field presence is required to support construction, fabrication, execution, inspection, and quality oversight activities.
Core Competencies
- Nuclear safety and quality culture leadership
- Quality strategy and governance development
- Regulatory and code compliance
- Supplier, fabrication, and subcontractor quality assurance
- Audit, surveillance, and assessment leadership
- Nonconformance, root cause, and corrective action management
- Stakeholder and partner interface management
- Right-first-time mindset and procedural discipline
- Documentation, traceability, and records management
- Team leadership, coaching, and development
- Continuous improvement and lessons learned management
