Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer to join our Operations Engineering team.

Position Description

The Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer supports the planning, coordination, and field execution of commissioning and startup activities for Oklo facilities. This role helps transition systems and facilities from construction through testing, turnover, operational readiness, initial operation, and project completion. This role works directly with Operations, Engineering, Construction, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, vendors, contractors, and other project organizations to ensure systems are properly scoped, tested, documented, accepted, and ready for operation. This engineer develops and reviews commissioning plans, test procedures, system turnover requirements, schedules, resource needs, and readiness criteria and then provides onsite engineering support during execution.

During field assignments, the Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer may serve as a system-based commissioning engineer, test engineer, shift test engineer, or field engineering lead. The engineer confirms system and test readiness, supports test teams, monitors plant response and test data, coordinates troubleshooting, resolves deficiencies, and ensures results are properly evaluated and documented.

This is a project-deployment role with remote work between field assignments. When assigned to an active commissioning or startup project, the Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer must be prepared to mobilize to the applicable project site for periods lasting several weeks to several months. Upon completion of an assignment, the engineer may return to remote work until mobilized for the next project. The frequency, location, and duration of assignments will vary based on company and project needs.

Specific responsibilities may include:

Develop and implement commissioning and startup plans, strategies, schedules, system-based work scopes, and execution methods

Define commissioning boundaries, test objectives, prerequisites, acceptance criteria, required resources, and system turnover requirements

Develop, review, verify, and maintain preoperational, commissioning, integrated, and startup test procedures

Translate design requirements, safety requirements, specifications, calculations, vendor information, and system requirements into executable test methods and acceptance criteria

Develop and maintain commissioning test matrices, requirements-traceability tools, system status records, turnover packages, and test completion documentation

Support systemization and define the structures, systems, components, boundaries, and work packages needed for effective commissioning and turnover

Coordinate construction completion, system walkdowns, punch-list resolution, turnover documentation, and acceptance of systems for testing

Verify test prerequisites, plant configuration, test boundaries, equipment status, temporary configurations, instrumentation, personnel, and procedural readiness before test execution

Participate in pre-job briefs, daily coordination meetings, shift turnovers, schedule reviews, and test-readiness reviews

Provide field engineering oversight during commissioning and startup testing

Monitor system response and test data in real time and compare observed performance against expected results and acceptance criteria

Support operators and test directors during system manipulations, integrated testing, startup testing, and other significant plant evolutions

Identify unexpected conditions, emerging risks, procedure deficiencies, equipment problems, and adverse trends during field activities

Exercise stop-work responsibility when testing cannot be performed safely or within approved requirements and controls

Coordinate troubleshooting among Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Construction, vendors, contractors, and other technical organizations

Document test deficiencies, open items, nonconformances, corrective actions, retest requirements, and final dispositions

Evaluate test results and prepare or support test reports, completion packages, turnover records, and recommendations for system acceptance

Support the transition from component-level testing to system testing, integrated plant testing, startup testing, and operational acceptance

Coordinate vendor and contractor testing and ensure activities are aligned with Oklo requirements, facility configuration, work controls, and project schedules

Support development and implementation of work-control, tagging, lockout/tagout, foreign-material-exclusion, configuration-control, and equipment-status-control practices needed during commissioning

Participate in operational-readiness reviews, management assessments, inspections, audits, and resolution of readiness findings

Provide input to operating procedures, maintenance procedures, training materials, system descriptions, and operational programs based on commissioning and startup experience

Capture lessons learned and use field experience to improve future test procedures, commissioning methods, plant designs, and repeatable deployment practices

Support multiple Oklo projects and facilities as priorities, schedules, and project phases evolve

Qualify as an Oklo plant operator or complete other assigned technical qualifications, as applicable

Maintain awareness of fast-reactor design, commissioning methods, operating experience, testing practices, and relevant industry developments

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in nuclear, mechanical, electrical, chemical, or another relevant engineering or technical discipline; equivalent directly applicable nuclear, commissioning, or operational experience may be considered in lieu of a degree

5+ years of experience in commissioning and startup, nuclear operations, system testing, field engineering, power generation, naval nuclear propulsion, national laboratory operations, construction completion, or another highly regulated technical environment

Hands-on field experience supporting the testing, commissioning, startup, operation, maintenance, or troubleshooting of complex mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, or process systems

Experience developing, reviewing, or executing technical test procedures, commissioning procedures, operating procedures, or similar controlled work instructions

Experience translating design requirements, specifications, calculations, safety requirements, or vendor information into executable tests and acceptance criteria

Experience reading and interpreting technical documents such as piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical single-line diagrams, wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, control narratives, system descriptions, specifications, calculations, and vendor manuals

Working knowledge of system turnover, configuration control, work control, equipment status, test boundaries, and safe field execution

Ability to evaluate system performance, interpret test data, identify abnormal conditions, and coordinate technical problem-solving in the field

Demonstrated ability to work across Operations, Engineering, Construction, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, vendors, and contractors

Ability and willingness to mobilize to project sites for extended assignments lasting several weeks to several months

Ability to work shifts, extended hours, nights, weekends, or holidays as required during commissioning and startup activities

Ability to travel to Oklo facilities, national laboratories, vendor facilities, and other project locations as business needs require

Ability to obtain and maintain unescorted access to nuclear facilities, if required

Bonus Qualifications:

Experience commissioning or starting up a nuclear facility, power plant, first-of-a-kind industrial facility, research reactor, microreactor, or Depart