Supplier Quality and Inspection Manager

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Supplier Quality & Inspection Manager to lead supplier quality development, inspection, and surveillance activities within a major nuclear new build programme.

This is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring that supplier qualification, manufacturing surveillance, inspection delivery, and quality oversight activities are executed to the highest standards within a highly regulated nuclear environment. The successful candidate will play a key role in driving excellence across the manufacturing quality lifecycle, providing technical leadership, strengthening supplier performance, and ensuring compliance with nuclear industry regulations and international quality standards.

Working closely with engineering, supply chain, programme management teams, regulators, and external suppliers, you will contribute to the successful delivery of one of Europe’s most significant infrastructure projects.

Main Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, develop, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of supplier quality specialists, inspectors, inspection coordinators, and technical advisors.
• Ensure the team is appropriately resourced and capable of delivering risk-based quality surveillance programmes.
• Promote a strong nuclear safety culture, human performance principles, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear expectations, manage performance, and support professional development across the team.
• Drive high levels of collaboration and engagement across internal and external stakeholders.

Supplier Quality & Development

• Oversee supplier qualification, capability assessments, and ongoing performance management.
• Evaluate suppliers against nuclear quality standards, industry regulations, and contractual requirements.
• Lead targeted supplier development initiatives focused on manufacturing excellence, welding, NDT, and special processes.
• Drive supplier performance improvement through structured interventions and monitoring.
• Support supplier audit programmes and ensure effective closure of non-conformances.

Inspection & Surveillance

• Develop and deploy risk-based inspection and surveillance programmes across complex manufacturing scopes.
• Oversee inspection activities throughout the manufacturing lifecycle to verify product quality and compliance.
• Ensure timely reporting, issue escalation, and traceability of surveillance findings.
• Maintain robust quality records, dashboards, and reporting systems to support regulatory oversight.
• Provide assurance that manufactured equipment is released in accordance with quality requirements.

Regulatory Compliance & Oversight

• Ensure all activities comply with nuclear quality standards, regulatory expectations, and industry best practices.
• Provide oversight of third-party inspection organisations and external service providers.
• Support Intelligent Customer responsibilities through effective supplier governance and performance monitoring.
• Contribute to quality governance forums, technical reviews, and regulatory interactions.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong working relationships with engineering, procurement, project delivery, and quality teams.
• Collaborate with suppliers, subcontractors, independent inspection bodies, and technical authorities.
• Represent quality interests at senior stakeholder meetings and cross-project forums.
• Support the sharing of best practices and lessons learned across programmes.

Key Skills & Experience:

• Extensive experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, inspection, or quality assurance within the nuclear sector or another highly regulated industry.
• Deep knowledge of ISO 19443, ISO 9001, nuclear quality assurance principles, regulatory compliance requirements, and risk-based surveillance methodologies.
• Proven experience leading, developing, and managing technical quality teams in complex project environments.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, including welding, non-destructive testing (NDT), production controls, and supplier qualification and assessment.
• Experience working with regulators, inspection bodies, technical authorities, and senior project stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to assess, justify, and challenge quality-related costs, resources, and service requirements.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Ability to drive supplier performance improvement and implement robust quality assurance strategies across complex supply chains.
• Experience operating within highly regulated environments requiring strict adherence to safety, quality, and compliance standards.

Julija Jouffroy