Construction & Commissioning Quality Engineer at Mariana Minerals in Houston, TX

Job description

About Mariana Minerals Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making. The Role As a Construction & Commissioning Quality Engineer, you will lead site quality across all of Mariana Minerals’ industrial process facilities, from construction and installation through testing, commissioning, handover, and project closeout. You’ll make sure quality requirements are built into field execution, verified at every hold point, and documented so each plant is turned over complete, compliant, and ready to run. This is a company-wide role covering every Mariana Minerals project, not a single site. You’ll be the primary quality interface between site teams, Construction Management, Field Engineering, Design Engineering, Process Engineering, Supply Chain, contractors, vendors, and Operations, and you’ll set consistent quality standards across all of our builds. Your work will be vital to building plants that start up safely, reliably, and right the first time. What You’ll Do Site Quality Leadership & Planning: • Lead site quality activities across construction, installation, testing, commissioning, handover, and closeout on every Mariana Minerals project. • Develop and execute site-specific Quality Plans, Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs), inspection checklists, and quality schedules. • Ensure contractual, regulatory, local statutory, environmental, and Mariana Minerals quality requirements are understood and verified in the field. • Support kick-off meetings, handovers to site and commissioning teams, project coordination meetings, and final handover reviews. Inspections & Commissioning Quality: • Execute C&C ITPs and verify that inspections, tests, witness points, hold points, and acceptance criteria are completed per project requirements. • Coordinate internal and third-party inspection resources for mechanical, electrical, dimensional, welding, coating, NDE, calibration, and functional testing. • Plan and run witness inspections, site audits, and surveillance activities, including readiness checks, required equipment, and calibration status. • Ensure nonconforming work is not built upon, concealed, or handed over until it is dispositioned and corrected. NCRs, Corrective Action & Continuous Improvement: • Initiate, investigate, and close NCRs, deviations, punch-list items, and corrective actions with clear objective evidence. • Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action with site teams, engineering, contractors, and suppliers. • Monitor quality risks, NCR trends, and overdue actions; escalate issues affecting schedule, safety, environmental compliance, or cost. • Capture lessons learned across all sites and standardize quality processes company-wide to reduce rework on future builds. Turnover Documentation & Records: • Manage site quality records, including inspection reports, test records, commissioning records, and turnover packages, so they are complete, traceable, and contract compliant. • Compile quality data books, dossiers, and closeout packages, and track open actions and approvals through closure. • Coordinate with Document Control to keep records available for review, acceptance, and archive. Contractor & Supplier Quality Oversight: • Hold contractors, vendors, and site suppliers to Mariana Minerals quality requirements, site procedures, and specifications. • Monitor contractor and vendor quality performance and drive resolution of issues affecting construction, commissioning, or turnover. • Partner with Supply Chain when supplier documentation, NCRs, or shipment release records affect site acceptance. Systems & Automation: • Collaborate with software engineering to digitize ITPs, inspection records, and NCR tracking, and support ongoing auto