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Quality Engineer

Albuquerque, NM

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

The Quality Engineer will be responsible for the creation and implementation of detailed inspection plans, ensuring that parts are inspected and tested to meet quality standards. In this role, you will collaborate closely with design engineers to ensure that products are designed for ease of inspection and quality assurance during manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Quality Planning and Inspection

  • Develops detailed inspection plans for new and existing parts, ensuring that all critical characteristics are thoroughly evaluated during production. Special emphasis on plans requiring use of advanced metrology equipment such as laser trackers and scanners for complex assemblies.
  • Establishes and implements quality control procedures and protocols, including sampling plans, testing methods, and acceptance criteria.
  • Coordinates with production teams to ensure that inspection activities align with production schedules and timelines.
  • Conducts regular audits of manufacturing processes and inspections to ensure compliance with quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Engineering and Design Support

  • Provides engineering support to ensure that parts are designed with inspectability in mind, offering suggestions to improve inspection efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Engineers and leads efforts for plant layout and installation of large skids and vessels inside enclosures.
  • Conducts reverse engineering of parts and components to provide 3D models and dimensional feedback to engineering and manufacturing personnel.

Training

  • Provides training to metrology and tooling team members in use and best practice on laser inspection equipment.
  • Provides training and guidance to manufacturing teams on quality standards, inspection methods, and defect prevention techniques.

Root Cause Analysis and Continuous Improvement

  • Performs root cause analysis and works with cross-functional teams to resolve quality issues that arise during production or post-production.
  • Supports continuous improvement initiatives by identifying areas for process optimization and quality enhancement.
  • Supports project management efforts to integrate new technologies, equipment, or processes that enhance quality and production efficiency. 

Supplier and Material Quality Management

  • Collaborates with suppliers and vendors to ensure that incoming materials meet the necessary specifications and quality standards.

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered in place of a degree.
  • Minimum 10+ years of proven experience in quality engineering, inspection planning, and root cause analysis.
  • Expert in Verisurf or other quality inspection software.
  • Familiarity with quality standards such as ISO, ASQ, or Six Sigma methodologies.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across multiple teams.
  • Experience with statistical analysis tools (e.g., Minitab, SPC) and quality control methods.
  • Knowledge of manufacturing processes and their impact on product quality.
  • Proficiency with advanced metrology and inspection tools.
  • Ability to work with highly collaborative team.
  • Ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently.
  • Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge.
  • Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues.
  • Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others.

Physical Demands

  • Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
  • Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)
  • Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
  • Remaining in a stationary position for prolonged periods
  • Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
  • Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 50 pounds in all directions
  • Communicating with others to exchange information
  • Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
  • Use hand tools
  • Repetitive assembly operations of manufacturing test fixtures and test setups in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams

Environmental Conditions

  • General office environment
  • Low temperatures
  • High temperatures
  • Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind
  • Noisy environments
  • Small and/or enclosed spaces
  • Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
  • Elevated heights
  • Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
  • High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE

  • Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
  • Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
  • Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
  • Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes

Travel

  • Some travel may be required (up to 20%)

Certification

  • Capable of obtaining forklift and boom lift certification
  • Certifications, such as Six Sigma green/black belt or other certifications related to design and quality preferred.  

Additional Requirements

  • If applicable, occasionally requires overtime
  • Occasionally requires working weekends
  • Occasionally requires schedule flexibility 
  • Occasionally requires non-standard work-week hours 
  • Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

#LI-Onsite

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

  • Competitive compensation packages
  • Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
  • Paid Vacation
  • 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

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Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810

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