Principal Engineer - Quality Control / Quality Assurance

Key Responsibilities

• Define the scope of technical and quality engineering programs and develop effective solutions to complex, unique, or controversial problems.

• Apply advanced quality engineering practices to challenges involving complicated technical requirements, new or special materials and processes, and difficult coordination needs.
• Develop QA programs and procedures, and ensure compliance with technical and quality requirements within the assigned facility or program area.
• Evaluate program results through surveillances, monitoring, assessments, and reviews, then prepare reports and recommendations for improvement.
• Prepare plans with schedules, budgets, and staffing requirements, and monitor progress, expenditures, and work quality.
• Serve on a Facility Review Board, providing QA expertise for facility start-up and operations.
• Conduct procurement, procedure, and work package reviews.
• Evaluate the QA programs of subcontractors and suppliers, recommend corrective actions, and present findings to program management and Site QA.
• Travel to supplier facilities to perform surveillance of work supporting Client projects.
• Perform weekly field walk-downs of job sites where engineering work is in progress.
• Communicate objectives and results to customers, colleagues, and management, including QA program and corrective action status updates to DOE personnel.
• Prepare reports, professional papers, and articles for internal and occasional external publication.
• Provide technical guidance to less senior professionals and ensure they are properly trained and effectively utilized.
• Stay current on technology and requirements in the area of specialization, and participate in technical societies or standards committees where possible.
• Support Total Quality (TQ) initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education and experience (one of the following):

• BS in a technical discipline with 8–10 years of Quality Assurance, Quality Control, or Engineering experience in Operations, Maintenance, Construction, or Industrial Manufacturing; or
• Associate degree with 10–12 years of practical QA, QC, or Engineering experience in the fields above; or
• High school diploma with at least 16 years of multi-disciplined professional QA or engineering experience, with increasing responsibility, in an operations, maintenance, construction, or manufacturing environment.

• Practical experience in quality control, work control, materials management, civil/structural, mechanical, maintenance, construction, or related areas.
• Previous mechanical and welding inspection or surveillance experience.
• Strong organizational, supervisory, and communication skills.
• Ability to perform field walk-downs, including walking over half a mile on uneven construction surfaces and climbing ladders to reach remote areas.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE "Q" security clearance. An active clearance is not required at the start; the selected candidate will be told when to apply based on work assignments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DOE clearance (L or Q) held within the past two years.

• Current or prior Lead Auditor certification.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).