Lead Recruiter

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values— Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappy, and Tenacity —guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

We’re hiring a Lead Recruiter to find and win the people who will build this company. You will be our first dedicated recruiting hire, focused on bringing in engineers, project and construction leaders, regulatory and licensing specialists, supply chain and finance professionals, and corporate team members, often from a talent pool that is small, specialized, and already in demand.

This is a hands-on role for someone who is at their best talking with candidates, working their network, and closing great hires. As we grow from a founding team to hundreds of employees, you will be the recruiting partner leaders rely on to keep pace.

Responsibilities

Partner with the executive team and the leaders to understand hiring priorities, timelines, and the profiles we need

Recruit directly for senior and critical roles, including technical, and project leadership searches, while keeping a steady pipeline for experienced and early-career hires

Create the plan for growing the TA function, including when to add recruiters, coordinators, and sourcers, and how to onboard and develop the team

Build the talent acquisition foundation from scratch, including the recruiting tech stack (ATS, CRM, sourcing tools, scheduling, and reporting) and the workflows that connect them to HR, Finance, and Legal systems

Hire, manage, and coach future recruiting team members as headcount grows from a founding team to hundreds of employees

Source proactively for scarce nuclear talent

Activate and grow your network, and build relationships with universities, military transition programs, professional associations, and specialized search partners

Tell our story to candidates, positioning a startup-pace company backed by a global investor and anchored in a generational energy mission

Advise hiring managers on talent market conditions, realistic timelines, and what it takes to win candidates

Guide candidates through a strong, personal experience from first conversation to signed offer, and close hard-to-win talent

Work with HR, Finance, and Legal on compensation, offers, relocation, and onboarding

Navigate the realities of a regulated industry, including security clearances, background screening, and export-control considerations

Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and hiring fairs

Experience

8+ years of recruiting experience, including significant time in full-cycle, in-house recruiting for technical, engineering, or project-based organizations

Experience in the nuclear industry or a closely related field (utilities, power generation, EPC, defense, national labs, or other regulated, safety-critical industries), with the ability to speak credibly with technical candidates

Experience implementing or optimizing recruiting tools and processes, ideally building a TA function from the ground up or scaling one through a major growth phase

Demonstrated success hiring senior leaders and hard-to-find technical talent in competitive markets

Strong sourcing skills and a network you can activate, with a bias toward direct outreach over passive postings

Experience in a startup, new venture, or fast-growing company, and the ability to scale hiring quickly as the business grows

Comfort with ambiguity, speed, and shifting priorities

Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the credibility to advise executives and candidates alike

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Experience

Direct experience recruiting for nuclear developers, reactor vendors, utilities, or large capital projects

Experience supporting joint ventures, carve-outs, or companies backed by private equity or institutional investors

Experience recruiting for large-scale construction, infrastructure, or project delivery workforces

Familiarity with security clearance processes, export-control requirements, or NRC-related qualification requirements

Prior experience building and leading a recruiting team, including hiring, managing, and developing recruiters

Willingness to travel to project sites, offices, and industry events

Hands-on experience with AI-enabled recruiting tools and automation

Benefits

Competitive compensation packages

401k with company match

Medical, dental, vision plans

Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

• Estimated Starting Salary Range
• The estimated starting salary range for this role is $118,000 - $140,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company’s discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role.

• EEO Statement
• The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.

• Export Control
• Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.

• Recruiting Fraud Alert
• Your safety is our priority. We want to ensure your job search stays secure. Please note that the team at The Nuclear Company only communicates through official @thenuclearcompany.com email addresses. We will never ask for payments or sensitive financial information at any stage of our recruitment process. For your peace of mind, please verify all openings and submit your applications directly through our official careers page .

The Nuclear Company does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or staffing agencies. Please do not contact The Nuclear Company employees directly about candidate placements.