Welding & NDT Field Quality Engineer - Hinkley Point C (HPC)
Sector: Nuclear New Build / Mechanical & Welding Inspection
Location: Hinkley Site, Somerset (Bridgwater area)
Position Type: Full-Time, Permanent
The Opportunity:
We are partnering with a Tier 1 delivery framework partner at Hinkley Point C to recruit an experienced Welding / NDT Field Quality Engineer. Operating within the site quality surveillance team, you will be responsible for overseeing the mechanical installation, assembly, and welding activities executed by major contractors on-site.
This role ensures that high-integrity equipment - including static and rotating plant, pressure systems, and piping infrastructure - is delivered strictly in line with project specifications, international design codes, and nuclear safety standards.
Key Responsibilities:
Site Quality Surveillance: Conduct independent quality surveillance on mechanical installation and welding activities across designated sections of the construction site.
Non-Conformance Management: Identify and record technical deviations from the approved work packages, proactively raising non-conformance reports (NCRs) and working with the superintendent to drive corrective actions.
Technical Query & Design Control: Ensure that no unauthorized design decisions or modifications are made "in the field." Facilitate the formal quality loop to ensure all technical changes pass through the approved design authority channels.
Proactive Defect Prevention: Analyse look-ahead schedules and coordinate with operational teams to identify potential quality risks or welding constraints before they impact production.
Inspection Record Verification: Monitor and verify that contractor Quality Inspection Records and lifetime records are fully compiled, signed off, and approved before any works are covered up or progressed.
Contractor Assurance: Assess contractor performance on the ground against authorized Quality Control Plans (QCPs) and Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).
Cross-Discipline Liaison: Maintain collaborative communication networks with health and safety, project controls, and construction teams, contributing field data to support project KPIs.
What We're Looking For:
Qualifications: Technical qualification (Degree, HNC/HND) in Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Materials, Welding, or equivalent vocational engineering training and field experience.
Codes & Standards: Strong working knowledge of relevant British, European, and international design codes such as RCC-M, BS EN, and ASME.
Quality Documentation: Proven experience working with safety-critical construction documentation, including Inspection & Test Plans (ITPs) and End of Erection Status Reports (EESRs).
Construction Track Record: Solid experience working within large, fast-paced industrial construction or fabrication environments (e.g., power plant, petrochemical, or heavy infrastructure).
Inspection Software & Reporting: Highly proficient in maintaining accurate, concise site diaries and surveillance logs that align with high-compliance contract management standards.
Desirable Skills & Certifications:
A valid welding inspector qualification (such as CSWIP 3.1 or equivalent) alongside a basic appreciation of NDT techniques is highly desirable (candidates with the right engineering profile may be supported through these certifications).
Higher-level welding or inspection credentials (CSWIP 3.2, IWS, or PCN NDT certifications) are an advantage.
Experience with the fabrication and installation of high-pressure systems.
Excellent interpersonal and facilitation skills; a working knowledge of the French language is advantageous due to international design interfaces, but not essential