Nuclear Operations Engineer

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

Position Description

The Nuclear Operations Engineer supports the development and implementation of the operational capabilities needed to safely commission, start up, and operate Oklo facilities. This role translates plant designs, safety requirements, and program requirements into practical methods for operating the plant and conducting operational work.

The Nuclear Operations Engineer helps develop operational programs and the procedures used to implement those programs. The role also provides technical and operational input for normal, general, abnormal, emergency, surveillance, alarm-response, and administrative operating procedures. Working with procedure writers, system engineers, and other subject-matter experts, this engineer helps ensure procedures are technically accurate, operationally practical, and aligned with plant design and program requirements.

This role also supports system turnover, testing, commissioning, startup, and operational-readiness activities across Oklo projects. The Nuclear Operations Engineer may serve as a system owner, technical lead, procedure subject-matter expert, test engineer, or field operations resource depending on the project phase and organizational need.

The Nuclear Operations Engineer works across Operations, Engineering, Regulatory, Safety Analysis, Human Factors, Maintenance, Training, Commissioning and Startup, and other organizations to ensure that Oklo facilities can successfully transition from design and construction into safe and reliable operation.

This position is primarily remote. Travel and temporary onsite assignments will be required as needed to support Oklo facilities, commissioning and startup campaigns, operational projects, design reviews, vendor activities, training, and other company priorities.

Specific responsibilities may include:

Develop, implement, and maintain operational programs, processes, standards, and supporting documentation

Translate operational-program requirements into clear, practical, and executable implementing procedures

Provide technical and operational input for normal, general, abnormal, emergency, surveillance, alarm-response, and administrative operating procedures

Work with procedure writers, system engineers, and other subject-matter experts to develop, review, verify, and validate operating and program-implementing procedures

Develop operating strategies, operating philosophies, system operating concepts, technical bases, and other foundational operations documents

Translate design-basis, safety-basis, regulatory, and program requirements into practical operational requirements, methods, and work products

Serve as a system owner, operations representative, technical lead, or subject-matter expert for assigned systems, programs, or project activities

Provide operations input during plant and system design reviews to improve operability, maintainability, testability, reliability, human performance, and personnel safety

Evaluate plant systems as an integrated facility, including the interfaces and dependencies among reactor, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, heat-transport, balance-of-plant, and supporting systems

Support systemization, construction turnover, system acceptance, preoperational testing, commissioning, startup testing, and operational-readiness activities

Develop or review test plans and procedures and support the safe execution, evaluation, and documentation of plant testing

Provide onsite technical and operational support during commissioning, startup, major testing, outages, and other significant project activities

Confirm plant configuration, system readiness, procedure adequacy, prerequisites, test boundaries, and operational controls before and during field activities

Incorporate field experience, testing results, design changes, and lessons learned into operational programs, procedures, training, and future plant designs

Support evaluation of integrated plant response to normal evolutions, anticipated operational occurrences, transients, equipment failures, and accident conditions

Participate in the development and review of control-room interfaces, human-machine interfaces, alarm strategies, operator displays, controls, and automation

Identify the personnel, qualifications, training, tools, procedures, and organizational capabilities needed to commission, start up, and operate Oklo facilities

Support operator training, qualification, simulator development, operational drills, and readiness activities

Participate in readiness reviews, assessments, inspections, corrective-action activities, and resolution of operational issues

Provide operational feedback to engineering and program teams to improve plant designs and enable repeatable deployment of future Oklo facilities

Build effective working relationships with internal teams, contractors, national laboratories, regulators, vendors, and other external stakeholders

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

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

Maintain awareness of fast-reactor design, operating experience, testing, research, and relevant industry developments

Minimum Qualifications:

At minimum, we are looking for:

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

Five or more years of experience in nuclear operations, nuclear engineering, commissioning and startup, power generation, naval nuclear propulsion, national laboratory operations, or another highly regulated technical environment

Experience developing or implementing operational programs, technical procedures, operating procedures, test procedures, or similar controlled work instructions

Working knowledge of integrated plant systems and the relationships among mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, and process systems

Experience translating technical, regulatory, design, safety, or program requirements into executable operational plans, procedures, or work activities

Experience reading and interpreting technical documents such as drawings, piping and instrumentation diagrams, system descriptions, specifications, calculations, safety analyses, and operating procedures

Demonstrated ability to work across engineering and operational disciplines to resolve complex technical and organizational issues

Strong technical writing, verbal communication, and problem-solving skills

Ability to work independently, manage changing priorities, and make sound decisions using incomplete or evolving information

Ability and willingness to travel and complete temporary onsite assignments in support of Oklo projects and facilities

Ability to support shift work, extended hours, or weekend activities during commissioning, startup, testing, or other major project evolutions when required

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

Bonus Qualifications:

Nice-to-haves include:

Experience as a reactor operator, senior reactor operator, shift technical advisor, system operator, engineering watchstander, or other nuclear facility operator

Current or previous NRC Reactor Operator or Senior Reactor Operator license or certification

Relevant qualification through the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, such as Engineering Officer of the Watch, Propulsion Plant Watch Officer, or Engineering Watch Supervisor

Experience supporting first-of-a-kind nuclear facilities, advanced reactors, microreactors, research reactors, or Department of Energy nuclear facilities

Experience with sodium-cooled fast reactors, liquid-metal systems, or fast-reacto