Quality Assurance Program Manager Jobs in Columbia, SC

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values-Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity-guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The Nuclear Company is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented QA Engineer - Program & Project Delivery to join our Quality team in Columbia, South Carolina. The QA Engineer - Program & Project Delivery is the Quality Assurance team's generalist: a mid-career engineer who supports the Director of Quality Assurance across programs and projects in all four QA lanes - enterprise governance, supplier and partner assurance, program implementation, and quality services. The role turns the Director's priorities into finished work across program development, procedures, quality records and metrics, and assessment support, and provides quality support to new greenfield and brownfield deployment projects as they are authorized. The engineer works daily with the QA leads, the contract Lead Auditor, and counterparts in Engineering, Procurement, Project Management, Construction, and Licensing. The position offers unusually broad exposure for a mid-career QA professional, with a defined growth path toward senior lead roles as the organization scales.

Responsibilities

• Support the Director of Quality Assurance in developing, implementing, and maintaining the enterprise quality program, including the QAPD and its supporting procedures.
• Develop and maintain QA procedures and program documents under the procedure roadmap, in coordination with subject-matter experts across functions.
• Support quality integration on new greenfield and brownfield deployment projects as they are authorized - project quality plans and quality requirements in design, procurement, construction, and testing.
• Maintain quality records and objective-evidence practices so the program remains complete, retrievable, and audit-ready.
• Establish and report QA metrics, trends, and program status that support leadership decision-making.
• Support internal and supplier assessments, audits, and surveillances, including follow-up of findings through corrective action (assessment conclusions remain with qualified auditors).
• Provide cross-program QA support to supplier assurance, program implementation, and quality services as priorities require working-level supplier and contractor contact in coordination with the Supplier & Partner Quality Lead.
• Coordinate QA actions, interfaces, and commitments across Engineering, Procurement, PMO, Construction, Services, and Licensing.

Experience

• 5+ years in quality assurance (typically 5-10), including 3+ years working under ASME NQA-1 and/or 10 CFR 50 Appendix B programs.
• Strong technical writing - procedures, reports, and records that survive review with minimal rework.
• Demonstrated generalist range: hands-on work in at least two QA functions (procedures / document control, records, audits, supplier quality, project quality, or corrective action).
• Highly organized and self-managing - takes a loosely defined ask and returns finished, accurate work; strong EDMS and Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a technical discipline, or equivalent quality assurance experience.

Preferred

• Experience supporting nuclear plant design, construction, or commissioning (AP1000, SMR/MMR, or other new-build programs).
• Audit team participation or auditor training; ASQ CQA earned or in progress; NQA-1 Lead Auditor certification (past or present).
• Corrective-action program / operating-experience exposure; metrics or dashboard tools (Excel, Power BI).
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 / ISO 19443; ERP / MES systems and standard quality tools; exposure to startup or first-of-a-kind environments.
• Interest in qualifying as a lead auditor or growing into a senior lead role as the team scales.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range

The estimated starting salary range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a semi-monthly basis.  The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company's discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role. 

EEO Statement

The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.  

Recruiting Fraud Alert
Your safety is our priority. We want to ensure your job search stays secure. Please note that the team at The Nuclear Company only communicates through official @thenuclearcompany.com email addresses. We will never ask for payments or sensitive financial information at any stage of our recruitment process. For your peace of mind, please verify all openings and submit your applications directly through our official careers page: Careers