Senior Quality Inspector

About UsAt Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We're fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we're building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Los Alamos, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. Antares has raised over $130M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $13M in government funding.About The TeamThe Quality Engineering team at Antares owns the quality of the product from design through operation and decommisioning. The team works closely with all cross functional organizations (Mission Engineering, Mechanical Design, Nuclear Licensing) to make sure that requirements are incorporated, validated, and verified throughout the design, build, and operation of the reactor.We are seeking a passionate quality inspector committed to ensuring our design requirements are manufactured into reliable, high-quality products. This role will provide an array of quality assurance support across all aspects of business and manufacturing process from receiving inspection to dimensional inspection to overall assembly and test inspections. We're looking for candidates who have been across multiple different types of manufacturing and are excited about helping build and verify our first of a kind reactor.Roles and Responsibilities:Receiving Inspection: Inspect and verify the quality and documentation of incoming raw materials and finished goods to ensure compliance with specifications and purchase order requirements.Dimensional and Visual Inspection: Perform precision dimensional inspections of machined and fabricated components using hand tools, gauges, and advanced metrology equipment (e.g., calipers, micrometers, CMM). Conduct visual inspections of surfaces, finishes, and assembly fit-ups.Test Setup and Result Verification: Review and inspect test setups, fixtures, and outcomes to ensure conformance with testing protocols and standards.Assembly Inspection: Inspect in-process and final assemblies for fit, function, and conformance to engineering drawings and specifications.Documentation & Reporting: Accurately record inspection results, maintain quality records, and support root cause and corrective action processes.Training & Development: Assist in developing and refining inspection procedures, training materials, and qualification processes for new inspectors as the organization scales.Basic Qualifications:High school diploma or GED3+ years of direct manufacturing inspection experience in a production, fabrication, or assembly environmentProficiency with basic inspection tools and techniques (micrometers, calipers, height gauges, etc.)Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, and GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing)Preferred Skills & Experience:Experience with visual weld inspection (AWS or equivalent preferred)Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1 or other quality management systemsExperience with CMM or advanced metrology toolsKnowledge of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods is a plusExperience with electronic Manufacturing Enterprise Software (MES)Experience with leak checks, vacuum checks, and other test validation activitiesStrong written and verbal communication skills for documenting inspections and collaborating with cross-functional teamsAbility to contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and support the development of scalable processesAdditional Requirements:Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestonesLocationWe are located in Torrance, CA in a 145,000 square foot, brand new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our facility is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises.CultureAt Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document's set of values–here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful:Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. "If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete." Over-optimizing the components often degrades the systemObsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycleBe Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's "how it's always been done"Craftsmen - We also focus on the inputs. We aspire to high-quality engineering for its own sake. As such, we invest in personal growth, learning, and developing a long-term career path for exceptional individual contributors. We embrace a beginner's mindset, share knowledge, and never condescend the curiousLoyally Collaborative - Team > Self. We win together. There is nothing more precious than a high-performing teamEqual OpportunityAntares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.ITAR RequirementsTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.