Texts and photographs: Nayra Muñoz Tirado
My name is Nayra Muñoz Tirado and I am an Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. I completed my final degree project in Rennes, France, through an Erasmus scholarship. Once it was finished, I had the opportunity to start working in France and did not hesitate. Later, I completed a Master’s degree in Occupational Risk Prevention in Madrid.
My professional career has been linked to the nuclear sector from the very beginning. I started at Framatome Maubeuge / SOMANU, working on the commercial launch of a patented decontamination process and analysing the needs of Spanish nuclear power plants regarding the management of radioactive waste generated during the decontamination of nuclear equipment.
After more than two years at SOMANU, I joined the Quality and Environment Department of AREVA NP’s Plants Sector in Paris — now Framatome — as a Quality and Environment Engineer. There, I contributed to the ISO 14001 certification of the French and German regions, the management of the nuclear quality system and supplier evaluations for the first EPR projects.
Over time, I gradually took on new responsibilities, such managing supplier qualification for new build, installed base and fuel cycle activities within the AREVA group — now Framatome and Orano — in France and Germany. Later, after four years as Performance Manager in the corporate area, my husband and I decided to leave Paris and move to Bordeaux.
This change meant temporarily leaving the nuclear sector after 17 years in the field, as there were not many companies linked to the industry in Bordeaux. I then began a new stage as Quality, Occupational Health and Safety and Environment Manager at Madic Industries, a French industrial SME developing solutions for energy storage, distribution and management for the mobility sector, as well as automated payment systems. It was a very enriching experience because, in addition to operating in a demanding regulatory environment, it allowed me to discover a more agile industrial company, closer to day-to-day operations and shorter decision-making and product cycles.
After six years in that position and seeing the renewed momentum of the nuclear sector, I decided that perhaps the time had come to embark on the adventure that my father, who is also linked to the industry, had so often “whispered” to me: contributing to the international development of Nucleonova.
That is how, in 2024, we created Nucleonova France. I am currently Chief Operating Officer of Nucleonova France and coordinate the quality engineering activities of the Nucleonova Group. This adventure also has a very personal dimension: I share it with my brother, CEO of the Group, and my father, Chairman. It is therefore both a business project and a family adventure.
How many years have you been in your current responsibility?
I have been Chief Operating Officer of Nucleonova France for a little over two years. During this time, my mission has been closely linked to the creation and consolidation of the French subsidiary: from administrative and organisational matters to business development, marketing, integration into French nuclear sector associations such as GIFEN and Nuclear Valley, and the preparation and execution of the first contracts.
Creating a company and building a name in the nuclear market is not easy, whether in France or anywhere else. It is a demanding sector, with a lot of inertia, where trust is built gradually, even when you already have extensive experience in the French market.
Today, my responsibilities combine the day-to-day management of Nucleonova France, relations with clients and partners, coordination with the Nucleonova Group, and the follow-up of offers, contracts, resources and activities. I also work with other entities of the Group, mainly LionBest, on projects related to quality engineering and Nucleonova’s technical services.
Which are the main activities of your current position?
My role combines three dimensions: business development, representation of Nucleonova France and technical coordination with the Group.
The first is clearly commercial and strategic. My priority is to develop business opportunities: identifying market needs, understanding where we can bring value, building partnerships and positioning Nucleonova France in projects with strong potential. This requires constant presence, persistence and the ability to clearly explain what the Group can contribute.
The second dimension is visibility. I regularly participate in trade fairs, professional events, industry associations and networking activities because, in France, having a strong technical offering is not enough; companies must also be visible, recognised and trusted. National events organised by GIFEN or Nuclear Valley, as well as international exhibitions such as the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) and INUOG, have given me first-hand exposure to a very dynamic nuclear community, characterised by its openness, transparency and collaborative spirit.
The third dimension is technical. Nucleonova provides services in procurement engineering, equipment qualification and dedication, as well as nuclear quality consulting. In this area, I participate as an expert in the ISO committee responsible for the revision of ISO 19443 and its interpretation guide. I am also involved in promoting Commercial Grade Item Dedication (CGID), a methodology widely used in markets such as Spain but still relatively undeveloped in France.
In addition, thanks to the incorporation of Ursula, our Technical Director in France and a specialist in qualification according to French regulations, we have significantly strengthened our local technical capabilities. This allows us to offer clients a stronger value proposition by combining expertise in the French regulatory framework with the broader experience of the Nucleonova Group.
Which are the most significant aspects of your work?
For me, the most significant aspect is the evolution of my own career. For many years my profile was primarily technical, focused on quality, environment, supplier qualification, management systems and performance. At Nucleonova France I have progressively evolved towards a much more managerial, commercial and strategic role.
I have learned how to represent a company, defend its value proposition, participate in trade fairs, develop business relationships, build partnerships and contribute to a market-entry strategy in a highly competitive environment. It is a dimension of my career that I had not previously developed to such an extent and that has helped me grow enormously as a professional.
It is also very rewarding to be part of the Nucleonova Group’s expansion strategy. The creation of Nucleonova France forms part of a broader phase of significant investment, with the incorporation of highly experienced professionals and strong market expertise. This demonstrates a genuine commitment to growth, internationalisation and the ambition to build a solid and sustainable company for the long term.
How did the move influenced your family/personal life?
I have been living in France for 25 years now. I can hardly believe it!
Moving abroad at the beginning of my career had a major impact, both professionally and personally. It meant learning another language properly — in my first job, my manager made me write reports in French and then corrected them, which helped me enormously — but also adapting to another culture and another way of building relationships.
At first, it was not easy. In France, relationships often develop more gradually, and social life is generally less spontaneous than in Spain. Over time, I learned to adapt without losing my own identity, keeping that natural openness which I think is part of who we are, and I became used to working and living in international and multicultural environments.
On a personal level, France is now an essential part of my life: I am married to a Frenchman, my children are Franco-Spanish and I have many friends and a part of my family here. Even so, I remain very connected to Spain, through my family and friends, and more recently also through my professional activity with Nucleonova.
The hardest part is still seeing my family and friends less often and being aware of all the moments you miss. It is also true that holidays are often shaped by the need to go back home in order to spend time with your loved ones.
What do you miss from Spain?
Above all, I miss my family and friends. I also miss the light, the climate, the rhythm of everyday life and that very Spanish spontaneity in personal relationships.
For example, I miss the ease of calling someone or dropping by to see friends without having to plan everything far in advance. In France, I sometimes have the impression that people are afraid of “disturbing” others. I remember that, during my first years there, I was very surprised that one of my best French friends, whenever she called me, would always start by asking: “Am I disturbing you?”
Perhaps I feel this even more strongly because I moved abroad when I was young and because I grew up in a village, where relationships were much more natural, close and spontaneous. But even today, with the busy lives we all lead — work, home, children — I still miss that ease of meeting up, improvising a meal, going for a drink or simply spending time together without having to organise everything.
I also miss that more outward-facing way of life: the streets, the terraces, long conversations around a table and the feeling that social life is part of everyday life. Over the years, France has become my home, but there are still small details from Spain that hold a very special place in my heart.
Do you invite young people to broaden their professional horizons outside?
Without a doubt. Going abroad and working in an international context allows you to truly understand the importance of culture in the way people work, communicate, make decisions and build professional relationships.
Working in another country does not mean losing your roots. On the contrary, it helps you look at them from a different perspective and value them even more. It also forces you to adapt, to learn different codes and to develop a flexibility that later becomes very useful in any professional environment.
My advice to young people — and also to those who are not so young — is to dare to take the step. You do not need to feel completely ready before doing so. You learn by walking the path. That said, languages, curiosity, humility and a solid technical foundation are a great help.
In my case, leaving Spain opened up a professional career that I could never have imagined at the beginning. And, 25 years later, it allows me to take part in a new adventure: contributing from France to the international development of a Spanish company in the nuclear sector.
