Senior Software Quality Engineer

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing startup in the nuclear and energy space creating a never before seen fleet-scale approach to building nuclear reactors. Through its design-once, build-many approach and coalition building across communities, regulators, and financial stakeholders, The Nuclear Company is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity at the lowest cost, while catalyzing the nuclear industry toward rapid development in America and globally.

About the role

The Nuclear Company is seeking a Senior Software Quality Engineer to help ensure the quality, reliability, traceability, and compliance of Nuclear Operating System (NOS), the software platform supporting one of the largest nuclear construction programs in the United States. 

This role combines software engineering, test automation, verification and validation (V&V), and quality assurance in a highly regulated environment. You will work closely with software engineers, product teams, and compliance leaders to build automated testing capabilities, verify software requirements, support audit readiness, and ensure digital systems meet the standards required for nuclear deployment. 

The ideal candidate is a strong engineer who enjoys building automation, improving quality processes, and working within rigorous compliance frameworks. 

Responsibilities

Test Automation & Quality Engineering 

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks for web, API, data, and backend services. 

• Build and execute automated unit, integration, regression, and end-to-end test suites. 

• Integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines and release processes. 

• Develop performance, load, and reliability testing capabilities. 

• Establish quality metrics and reporting dashboards. 

Verification & Validation 

• Execute software verification and validation activities. 

• Validate software against documented requirements and acceptance criteria. 

• Ensure requirements are traceable through design, implementation, testing, and release. 

• Support release readiness reviews and quality gates. 

Quality Assurance & Compliance 

• Perform quality reviews and audits of software systems and development processes. 

• Support compliance with ASME NQA-1 and other applicable quality standards. 

• Verify configuration management, change control, and records management practices. 

• Prepare audit-ready documentation and objective evidence packages. 

Defect Management & Root Cause Analysis 

• Lead defect triage, investigation, verification, and closure activities. 

• Analyze quality trends and identify opportunities for process improvement. 

• Support root cause investigations and corrective action programs. 

• Reduce defect escape rates through improved automation and quality controls. 

 Collaboration & Continuous Improvement 

• Partner with software engineers to improve testability and code quality. 

• Participate in design reviews and code reviews. 

• Help establish software quality best practices across engineering teams. 

• Support internal audits, external audits, and regulatory inspections.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. 

• 5+ years of experience in software quality engineering, software testing, SDET, or software verification and validation roles. 

• Strong programming skills in Python, Java, C#, JavaScript/TypeScript, or similar languages. 

• Experience developing and maintaining automated test frameworks. 

• Experience with modern testing tools such as Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, TestNG, PyTest, or equivalent. 

• Experience testing APIs, databases, and distributed systems. 

• Experience integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines. 

• Experience with Git, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar engineering tools. 

• Ability to read, understand, and review production software code. 

• Strong written communication and documentation skills, the ability to produce audit-ready documentation. 

• Experience preparing for and supporting quality or regulatory audits.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in regulated industries such as nuclear, aerospace, defense, medical devices, energy, or industrial systems. 

• Familiarity with ASME NQA-1 quality requirements. 

• Experience in nuclear or a U.S. Department of Energy environment. 

• Familiarity with safety-critical software standards such as IEEE 1012, IEC 61508, or IEC 60880. 

• Familiarity with cybersecurity, performance, or reliability testing. 

• Experience supporting quality audits, regulatory inspections, or compliance programs. 

• Experience with requirements management and traceability systems. 

• Experience testing AI/ML-enabled software systems. 

• Understanding of ITAAC, nuclear construction quality programs, or NRC-regulated environments. 

• Experience with quality management systems (QMS) and records control platforms. 

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 $121,000 - $165,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly 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.