Nuclear Design Quality Engineer - US

What we do at Blykalla

Blykalla is a global leader in advanced nuclear technology, commercializing the next generation of clean, reliable energy through its lead-cooled reactor, the SEALER. By combining decades of specialized research with world-class partners, Blykalla is building the backbone of the global AI and industrial economy. For more information, visit https://www.blykalla.com.

What you'll get to do

Blykalla is growing its US engineering team to advance our lead-cooled small modular reactor technology. We are looking for a Nuclear Quality Assurance Engineer with a focus on design quality to help make our engineering work controlled, traceable, and ready to support a first-of-a-kind reactor program.

This role brings quality assurance into the engineering process from the beginning. You will work alongside engineers to establish practical design controls, identify quality gaps early, and ensure the evidence behind technical decisions is complete and accessible.

Your assignment and mission

Working closely with our Quality Assurance Director and engineering teams, you will help implement the quality processes that support reactor design and development. Your focus will be on how engineering requirements are translated into design documents, how designs are reviewed and verified, and how changes are controlled as the program develops.

You will help apply ASME NQA-1 requirements to assigned engineering activities, in line with Blykalla's quality assurance program. We are looking for someone with sound engineering judgement, strong quality fundamentals, and the ability to build effective working relationships across technical disciplines.

In practice, you will:

• Support design control processes covering design inputs, outputs, reviews, verification, interfaces, and changes.
• Review engineering deliverables-including drawings, specifications, calculations, and technical reports-for compliance with quality procedures, required approvals, and supporting records.
• Work with engineering leads to ensure design verification is planned, documented, and performed with the appropriate independence by qualified personnel.
• Help maintain traceability between technical requirements, design outputs, and verification evidence.
• Support configuration management and document control so teams work from approved information and changes receive the necessary review.
• Help engineering teams identify and resolve quality issues, track corrective actions, and confirm their effectiveness.
• Conduct or support internal assessments and audits of engineering activities, and follow findings through closure.
• Support quality oversight of external engineering services, including review of deliverables against agreed requirements.
• Develop and improve engineering quality procedures, templates, and training as the US program grows.
• Coordinate with procurement and supplier quality colleagues to ensure design requirements and approved changes are communicated clearly into purchasing and manufacturing activities.

What we're looking for

Must have

• Experience in quality assurance, design quality, engineering quality, or engineering work involving formal design controls.
• Experience working with engineering teams in a regulated or safety-critical environment.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, specifications, calculations, and engineering documentation.
• Experience with document control, design reviews, change management, non-conformances, or corrective action processes.
• Confidence raising quality concerns, asking constructive questions, and working with engineers to resolve them.
• A practical approach to building processes in a growing organization.
• A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant professional or military experience.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Strong advantage

• Experience applying ASME NQA-1, particularly design control requirements.
• Familiarity with nuclear quality frameworks such as 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, or DOE O 414.1.
• Experience supporting reactor development, nuclear engineering, or other complex technical programs.
• Experience with requirements management, configuration management, or engineering document management systems.
• Experience auditing engineering activities or supporting independent design verification.
• NQA-1 auditor training, relevant quality certifications, or experience supporting lead auditor qualification.
• Experience developing quality processes in a startup or first-of-a-kind program.

If your experience covers much of this role, we encourage you to apply.

Location 

Austin, TX. This is an on-site position, with occasional travel to support project activities, engineering partners, or quality assessments.

Compensation

Base salary: $120,000-$160,000, depending on experience and background

• Equity participation.
• Benefits and perks through Justworks, including access to health coverage and retirement benefits, subject to plan terms.

So, what do you think?

If you enjoy working closely with engineers, bringing clarity to complex technical work, and building quality into a developing reactor design, we would like to hear from you.

We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives and are committed to an inclusive workplace.

Reference & Background Checks

As part of our recruitment process, we conduct background checks on all candidates. We may also conduct reference checks to gain a well-rounded understanding of your professional experience, performance, and ways of working. This includes both references provided by you and, where relevant, conversations with other professional contacts who have worked closely with you. We strive to be transparent about our reference-checking process and handle all personal data in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Any additional references will be sought with professional judgment and only when considered relevant to the role.

Note on AI Use: Blykalla may use AI technology to assist with certain administrative aspects of the hiring process, such as note-taking, interview documentation, and reporting. However, every resume and application is reviewed directly by our recruiting team. AI tools are used solely for operational support and do not influence candidate evaluation or hiring decisions.