The ITER Organization brings together people from all over the world to be part of a thrilling human adventure in southern France—building the ITER Tokamak. We require the best people in every domain.

We offer challenging full-time assignments in a wide range of areas and encourage applications from candidates with all levels of experience, from recent graduates to experienced professionals. Applications from under-represented ITER Members and from female candidates are strongly encouraged as the ITER Organization supports diversity and gender equality in the workplace.

ITER Organization (IO) is an Equal Opportunity/Inclusive organization committed to diversity in the workplace, with diversity and Inclusiveness being one of the ITER Values.

As IO attracts and retains people coming from a vast array of different backgrounds and cultures, bias and exclusion cannot be tolerated. IO believes it is our diverse perspectives and backgrounds that gives unique strength and value to the ITER mission, regardless of race, member nation, gender, religion, status, sexual orientation, or disability – all are welcome and respected at ITER.

Our working environment is truly multi-cultural, with 29 different nationalities represented among staff. The ITER Organization Code of Conduct gives guidance in matters of professional ethics to all staff and serves as a reference for the public with regards to the standards of conduct that third parties are entitled to expect when dealing with the ITER Organization.

The south of France is blessed with a very privileged living environment and a mild and sunny climate. The ITER Project is based in Saint Paul-lez-Durance, located between the southern Alps and the Mediterranean Sea—an area offering every conceivable sporting, leisure, and cultural opportunity.

To see why ITER is a great place to work, please look at this video

Application Deadline: 19/11/2023

Department: Safety & Quality Department

Division: Quality Management Division

Job Family: Line Management and Group Leaders

Job Role: Head of Division

Job Grade: D1

Language Requirements: Fluent in English (written & spoken)

Contract Duration: Up to 5 years

As the Head of the Quality Management (QMD) Division, you will manage the Division and lead the ITER Management and Quality Program (MQP) system and the quality program throughout the whole ITER project.

You will drive improvement and transformation plans in close collaboration with all ITER Organization (IO) and Domestic Agency (DA) units, by defining the strategy, implementing the actions, adapting the systems and tools, and ensuring a proper implementation by frequent visits in the field in France and abroad.

Background Information

The Safety & Quality Department (SQD) supports the Director–General (DG) to facilitate and ensure the ITER Organization’s (IO) and relevant stakeholders’ compliance with the Safety and Quality Management program: 1) Article 14 of the ITER Agreement states: “The ITER Organization shall observe applicable national laws and regulations of the Host State in the fields of public and occupational health and safety, nuclear safety, radiation protection, licensing, nuclear substances, environmental protection and protection from acts of malevolence”, and 2) Integrated Management System through the Management & Quality Program (MQP), throughout all lifetime phases of IO’s installations including: design, construction (with manufacturing and assembly of structures systems and components), Commissioning, Operation, dismantling and release from regulatory control. Maintaining close collaboration with all other ITER Organization (IO) and Domestic Agencies (DAs) departments is of utmost importance with a view to developing a common safety, security and quality culture.

• Develops and implements the strategy for Quality Management for the ITER Project in close collaboration with the SQD Head, the DG and the DAs;
• Provides effective leadership for their scope, ensuring that managers and team members are motivated and constantly developing their skills and experience;
• Develops and manages set of Quality KPIs; communicates with the DG, Senior Management and units on the performance of the quality management system and drives any needs for improvement;
• Implements nuclear quality culture program and world’s best practices in the ITER Project through training and coaching in the field;
• Coordinates the Management & Quality Programme (MQP) and ensures that processes needed for the quality management system are established, fit for purpose, implemented and maintained;
• Assesses the implementation of MQP procedures and working instructions for the quality related activities by all stakeholders (i.e. IO units, Domestic Agencies, suppliers or contractors);
• Oversees Management System Audits, Quality Assessment Audits in the DAs, DA suppliers and direct suppliers to the IO;
• Manages and implements all quality control activities to ensure the compliance of the products and activities with Quality Requirements;
• Assesses independently quality-related activities during the design, manufacturing, construction and operation phases of the ITER Project;
• Centralizes audit findings and Non-Conformity Report (NCR);
• Leads and coordinates the resolutions of quality issues and NCRs, and takes actions to ensure that lessons learnt fed into continuous MQP improvements;
• Manages actions plans to avoid Counterfeit Fraudulent Suspect items (CSFI);
• Ensures that proper technical skills, oversight and qualification are maintained;
• May be requested to be part of any of the project/construction teams and to perform other duties in support of the project;
• May be required to work outside ITER Organization reference working hours, including nights, weekends and public holidays.

• Manages efficiently the staff of the Division and the achievement of their performance targets of quality management activities including quality planning, audit and control;
• Establishes a fit-for-purpose strategy for Quality management;
• Improves Quality Project KPIs as agreed through annual targets;
• Provides proper quality culture, training and coaching programs;
• Effectively communicates the ITER MQP and QAP with high level scientific/technical stakeholders throughout the project;
• Establishes efficient processes and procedures required for the MQP and Quality Assurance Program (QAP) implementation;
• Communicates efficiently the result of quality controls, and continuously improve the performance of the quality management system;
• Acts actively and effectively ensuring the Project is complying with the established processes under the QAP, nuclear safety regulations and other standards.

• Professional experience:
  • At least 15 years of combined experience in a managerial position leading engineering / construction projects and implementing a nuclear quality assurance / quality control / operational excellence program.
• Education:
  • Master’s degree in the nuclear engineering, engineering field or any other relevant discipline;
  • The required education degree may be substituted by extensive professional experience involving similar work responsibilities and/or additional training certificates in relevant domains.
• Language requirements:
  • Fluent in English (written and spoken).

• Technical Competencies and demonstrated experience in:
  • Team management: providing leadership, motivating and ensuring development of competencies, directs work through direction, delegation, and removal of obstacles to move work forward;
  • Management of resources in a matrixed organization, leading multi-disciplinary international teams and interacting with high level stakeholders, and experts in different quality disciplines;
  • Inclusive leadership (maintaining healthy working environment), with a high level of headship for motivating and developing staff;
  • High-level strategic negotiations, using influence with internal and external partners, including the ability and willingness to solicit and consider varying inputs and opinions and make appropriate recommendations and tough decisions;
  • Leading Quality Control (QC) within a heavily regulated nuclear environment would be beneficial;
  • Project management: planning, measuring progress of work, managing risks, costs, reporting and schedule within the constraints of human and financial resources;
  • Implementing quality programs in a large construction project in highly regulated environment;
  • Driving a Quality Project culture that underpins and maintains safe and secure working conditions, and enforces the highest standard of safe, healthy, and secure work practice;
  • Implementing nuclear safety regulations, codes and standards and practical improvement plan for quality methods and culture (Operational Excellence, Lean management,…);
  • Implementing nuclear quality assurance programs, especially that related to design control, configuration management, manufacturing, assembly and installation process, inspection and testing activities, and procurement processes;
  • Tokamak fusion system design and/or ITER design is a strong advantage.
• IO Core Behavioral Competencies:
  • Collaborate: Ability to facilitate dialogue with a wide variety of contributors and stakeholders;
  • Communicate Effectively: Ability to adjust communication content and style to deliver messages to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment;
  • Drive results: Ability to persist in the face of challenges to meet deadlines with high standards;
  • Manage Complexity: Ability to analyze multiple and diverse sources of information to understand/define problems accurately before moving to proposals;
  • Instill trust: Ability to apply high standards of team mindset, trust, excellence, loyalty and integrity.

The following important information shall apply to all jobs at ITER Organization:

• Maintains a strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of the ITER Safety Program, ITER Values (Trust; Loyalty; Integrity; Excellence; Team mind set; Diversity and Inclusiveness) and Code of Conduct;
• ITER Core Technical Competencies (Knowledge of these competencies may be acquired through on-board training at basic understanding level for all ITER staff members) :

1) Nuclear Safety, Environment, Radioprotection and Pressured Equipment

2) Occupational Health, Safety & Security

3) Quality Assurance Processes

• Implements the technical control of the Protection Important Activities, as well as their propagation to the entire supply chain;
• May be requested to work on beryllium-containing components. In this case, you will be required to follow the established ITER Beryllium Management Program for working safely with beryllium. Training and support will be provided by the ITER Organization;
• May be requested to be part of any of the project/construction teams and to perform other duties in support of the project;
• Informs the IO Director-General or Department Head of any important and urgent issues that cannot be handled by line management and that may jeopardize the achievement of the Project’s objectives.
• For staff expected to perform on-call, shift hours, or other work outside ITER Organization reference working hours, including nights, weekends, and public holidays, the possession of a driving license valid in France is required. No commuting vehicle will be provided by the ITER Organization.