---
title: 'Quality & Test Engineer at Last Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/quality-test-engineer-last-energy-austin-svvn9vhqan37'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Quality & Test Engineer at Last Energy

- **Company:** Last Energy
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy/40716ed3-447c-4afa-85a5-5b3f42e29c93

## Job description

Last Energy is seeking a Quality & Test Engineer to help manage the quality processes underpinning our manufacturing scale-up. This role operates at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, and supplier quality. A strong engineering generalist who can apply core mechanical, manufacturing, or systems engineering fundamentals to root cause analysis, inspection planning, and process control will thrive in this role.

## Key Duties & Responsibilities

- Support inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and work instructions for fabricated and assembled components
- Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) for nonconformances found in receiving, fabrication, or assembly
- Partner with manufacturing and design engineering on tolerance stack-up, process capability (Cpk), and statistical process control (SPC)
- Support supplier quality activities, including source inspections, supplier audits, and first article inspection reviews
- Help develop and execute test programs for procured or fabricated items requiring additional verification beyond standard receiving inspection (e.g., functional, performance, or environmental testing)
- Contribute to build-out of Last Energy's formal quality management system, including alignment with Applicable Industry Quality Standards
- Participate in design and process FMEAs alongside engineering counterparts
- Maintain quality records, documentation control, and traceability for safety-related components
- Translate quality data into practical engineering recommendations for the manufacturing and development teams

## Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline
- 2-5 years of engineering experience — this may be in design, manufacturing, test, or process engineering; formal quality experience is not required
- Solid grounding in engineering fundamentals: GD&T, basic statistics, and root cause methodologies (5-Why, fishbone, etc.)
- Comfort reading and marking up engineering drawings and CAD models
- Genuine interest in moving into (or further into) quality engineering as a discipline
- Strong written communication skills for documenting findings and driving corrective actions across teams
- Experience in a highly regulated manufacturing environment is a plus

## About Last Energy

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Last Energy develops and deploys micro modular pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plants using a full-service, factory-built model to deliver clean, reliable, on-site baseload electricity for industrial customers and utilities.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Capital-Backed, Series C)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, USA (also has an office in Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Founded by the Energy Impact Center (EIC), led by Bret Kugelmass [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Nuclear power generation, clean energy infrastructure, climate technology
- **Target customers**: B2B – data centers, energy-intensive industrial facilities, utilities seeking behind-the-meter or on-premises baseload power [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)
- **Mission**: “How to deliver abundant, reliable energy fast enough to support modern industry and economic growth” [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **PWR-20**: A 20 MWe micro modular nuclear reactor based on proven pressurized water reactor technology. The plant is fully factory-fabricated, uses proprietary steel containment, and is designed for rapid on-site assembly. Last Energy acts as designer, owner, operator, and independent power producer, selling power under long-term purchase agreements [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total disclosed funding raised is **$324 M**; latest round was a **$101 M Series C** completed on July 18, 2025 [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
- **Notable Investors**: AE Ventures, Astera Institute, Chaucer Global, Dysruptek, Endowment Arm [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 60 employees and growing [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - 15 active patents, with several recently filed for containment structures [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - Company status is “Generating Revenue” [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - Active hiring for key operational roles in Austin, TX [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Full-service delivery model**: Last Energy designs, builds, owns, and operates its plants, removing the need for customers to develop or finance nuclear assets.
- **Proven reactor technology**: Uses standard PWR technology (not novel) combined with factory modularization to reduce construction time and cost.
- **Proprietary steel containment**: Patented containment structures improve safety and simplify siting.
- **Behind-the-meter IPP structure**: Power purchase agreements provide stable revenue while customers get reliable, carbon-free baseload power without capital outlay.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling the deployment of micro modular reactors to meet soaring electricity demand from AI, data centers, and industrial reshoring.
- Expanding factory production capabilities to accelerate time from order to operation.
- Growing its portfolio of power purchase agreements with utilities and large energy consumers.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Dynamic and passionate team that blends fresh perspectives with seasoned expertise” — described as a fast-growing international team united by a mission to solve one of the hardest problems in energy [lastenergy.com/careers/jobs](https://www.lastenergy.com/careers/jobs)
- **Work policy**: Roles are currently on-site in Austin, TX or Washington, D.C. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)
- **Impact**: Opportunity to work on the “most important challenge of our lifetime” with tangible progress toward global clean energy goals.
- **Engineering culture**: Hands-on work with hardware, nuclear systems, and modular manufacturing; strong patent activity indicates a culture of innovation.

## Sources
1. [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)
2. [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)
3. [lastenergy.com/careers/jobs](https://www.lastenergy.com/careers/jobs)
4. [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
5. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)

## Other roles at Last Energy

- [Procurement Director](https://feeny.ai/job/procurement-director-last-energy-austin-17bzcqq91aev) — Austin, TX
- [Receiving & Inspection Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/receiving-inspection-technician-last-energy-austin-n8hqw9jqky7y) — Austin, TX
- [Helpdesk Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/helpdesk-technician-last-energy-austin-svc972s5h3wv) — Austin, TX
- [People Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/people-operations-lead-last-energy-austin-6sqhsw7zxade) — Austin, TX
- [Business Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/business-operations-lead-last-energy-austin-aajdngnhzskg) — Austin, TX
- [Technical Project Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-project-manager-last-energy-austin-y796emk1pjq2) — Austin, TX
- [Senior Sales Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-sales-engineer-last-energy-austin-30nt7zvm3vf9) — Austin, TX
- [Document Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/document-controller-last-energy-austin-0jt07jqak492) — Austin, TX
- [Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/controller-last-energy-austin-gtsck49yt9q5) — Austin, TX
- [Development Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/development-associate-last-energy-austin-jjx9s2h38rfk) — Austin, TX