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Aplin has partnered with an established Canadian nuclear manufacturer to recruit an accomplished Director of Quality. This senior leadership position will provide strategic and hands-on operational oversight of the organization’s Quality Assurance and Quality Control functions across multiple locations.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team reporting to the Vice President and General Manager, the Director of Quality will serve as the management authority for the organization’s nuclear Quality Program. This individual will be accountable for the effectiveness of the Quality Management System and for ensuring that products, processes and documentation comply with applicable nuclear codes, standards, customer requirements and certification obligations.
This opportunity requires a visible and engaged leader who can strengthen quality systems, develop QA and QC teams, improve cross-functional accountability and contribute directly when technical or operational support is required.
Key Responsibilities
Quality Leadership
- Provide leadership and direction to the Quality Assurance and Quality Control functions across multiple operations.
- Participate actively as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
- Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations and accountability throughout the Quality function.
- Develop, train and mentor quality professionals, including less-experienced inspectors and technical team members.
- Strengthen organizational capability, competency development and succession planning.
- Preserve the independence and authority of Quality while maintaining a strong connection to production and operational priorities.
- Promote a culture of compliance, collaboration, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
- Exercise stop-work authority when product quality, regulatory compliance or certification requirements may be compromised.
- Remain sufficiently hands-on to support inspection, technical review and approval activities when required.
Quality Management System
- Serve as the management authority for the organization’s nuclear Quality Management System.
- Ensure that quality policies, procedures, manuals, records and supporting documentation remain current, controlled and effectively implemented.
- Maintain compliance with applicable nuclear and quality standards, including CSA N285, CSA N299.1/Z299.1 and ISO 9001.
- Lead internal, customer, certification and regulatory audits.
- Ensure audit findings and corrective actions are thoroughly addressed within established timelines.
- Maintain continuous audit and certification readiness.
- Support significant quality-system and certification initiatives across the organization.
Product Quality and Conformance
- Oversee inspection, testing and examination activities supporting complex manufacturing and fabrication operations.
- Ensure inspection and test plans, hold points and acceptance criteria are clearly defined and consistently executed.
- Maintain complete, accurate, controlled and traceable qualification, inspection and conformance records.
- Ensure nonconforming products and materials are appropriately identified, controlled, evaluated and dispositioned.
- Improve right-first-time performance and support the timely completion of final quality documentation.
- Ensure inspections are completed efficiently without compromising compliance or production requirements.
Nonconformance and Corrective Action
- Strengthen nonconformance reporting and corrective and preventive action processes.
- Ensure NCR and corrective action records are complete, traceable and properly controlled.
- Lead rigorous root-cause investigations and ensure corrective actions effectively prevent recurrence.
- Monitor quality trends, recurring issues and the cost of poor quality.
- Promote the consistent application of lessons learned and continuous improvement practices.
- Establish greater clarity and accountability for the ownership and resolution of quality issues.
Supplier Quality
- Establish and maintain supplier qualification, audit and surveillance requirements.
- Ensure quality, certification and documentation requirements are appropriately incorporated into procurement processes.
- Work with internal stakeholders and suppliers to resolve quality concerns and reduce recurring nonconformances.
- Monitor supplier performance and ensure corrective actions are completed on time.
Customer, Regulatory and Certification Relationships
- Represent the organization on quality matters with customers, regulators, certification bodies and other external stakeholders.
- Ensure quality decisions, processes and records are technically sound and defensible.
- Maintain credibility with nuclear customers, auditors and regulatory stakeholders.
- Communicate emerging quality and compliance risks clearly to senior leadership.
- Support timely, well-informed decisions involving quality, delivery and customer commitments.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Engineering to establish acceptance criteria, incorporate traceability requirements and resolve technical corrective actions.
- Strengthen collaboration and accountability between Quality and Engineering.
- Work with Operations to coordinate inspections and hold points and prevent late-stage quality issues.
- Partner with Supply Chain to improve supplier quality and establish quality requirements at the source.
- Collaborate with Project Management to identify quality and delivery risks early and support disciplined change control.
- Help eliminate preventable upstream issues affecting quality, cost, productivity and customer delivery.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Materials, Industrial or a related engineering discipline.
- A master’s degree is considered an asset.
- A Professional Engineer designation is considered an asset.
- At least 10 years of progressive quality experience within a regulated manufacturing environment, including senior leadership responsibility.
- Direct experience within nuclear manufacturing, nuclear fabrication or a closely related nuclear environment is required.
- Demonstrated working knowledge of both CSA N285 and CSA N299.1/Z299.1 is required.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 and other applicable quality and certification requirements.
- Demonstrated experience leading regulatory, certification, customer and internal audits.
- Strong knowledge of Quality Assurance and Quality Control practices, inspection and test planning, nonconformance management, root-cause analysis and corrective action systems.
- Experience with supplier qualification, surveillance, audits and corrective actions.
- Knowledge of complex fabrication, welding, inspection, testing and controlled-documentation requirements.
- Experience leading quality teams across multiple operations is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated success developing and mentoring inspectors and other quality professionals.
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly between the organization’s Southern Ontario operations.
Preferred Technical Credentials
The organization would value candidates with applicable CGSB or nondestructive testing qualifications, including:
- Liquid penetrant testing, Level 2
- Magnetic particle testing, Level 2
- Ultrasonic testing experience or certification
These credentials are preferred rather than mandatory. However, the successful candidate must possess strong technical credibility and be willing to provide hands-on assistance when inspection or approval support is required.
Leadership Competencies
- High integrity and sound professional judgment.
- Calm and credible leadership in a deadline-driven nuclear manufacturing environment.
- Ability to uphold compliance requirements while supporting effective operational execution.
- Strong systems thinking and data-driven problem-solving skills.
- Clear communication with employees, executives, customers, suppliers, auditors and regulatory stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to establish accountability, develop talent and lead organizational change.
- A collaborative leadership style combined with the confidence to make difficult decisions.
- A willingness to remain visible and actively involved in day-to-day quality operations.
Why Apply Through Aplin?
Aplin has an established relationship with this organization and has successfully placed professionals within its teams. Applications submitted through Aplin will be reviewed directly by the recruitment team managing this search.
Candidates must currently reside in Canada and be legally authorized to work for any Canadian employer without current or future visa sponsorship.
If you are an experienced nuclear quality leader interested in making a significant contribution within a sophisticated Canadian manufacturing organization, we invite you to apply directly to Aplin. Qualified candidates will be contacted to discuss the organization and opportunity in greater detail.
At Aplin — together with our brands CompuStaff, Impact Recruitment, and Vantix Systems — we connect great people with great organizations across North America. We believe diverse teams build stronger companies, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We use AI tools to assist in a fair and efficient matching process, helping our recruiters connect the right people with the right opportunities. To be considered, applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada, including holding any required permits. Our recruitment services are always free for job seekers.