Senior Manager, Engineering Operations

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Manager, Engineering Operations to lead and scale our engineering operations and test execution capabilities within a 24/7 environment. This senior leadership role is responsible for selecting, training, developing, and directing multi-disciplinary engineering support teams, operators, and technical staff engaged in the execution of high-temperature testing campaigns and commissioning of complex experimental systems. The role will expand to include activation and operations for Kairos Powers’ operational nuclear reactors.

The ideal candidate brings a proven track record in industrial operations, nuclear or chemical plant environments, or advanced energy systems. This individual will provide strategic oversight of operations management, systems integration, process development, training, and safety compliance. The Senior Manager, Engineering Operations will be a critical voice in shaping how experimental and operational facilities are designed, operated, and evolved to support the mission of deploying transformative energy technologies.

This role will work out of our Albuquerque, NM location for approximately for the first 12 months and then transition to Oak Ridge, TN thereafter.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision and direction for 24/7 engineering operations, ensuring alignment with company objectives and milestones.
• Develop and execute long-term strategic plans to expand operations capabilities, streamline execution, and enhance reliability across test platforms.
• Establishes and reinforces operational standards, practices, and expectations that promote continuous improvement, safety, technical rigor, and operational excellence.
• Identify, evaluate, and mitigate operational, technical, regulatory, safety, and organizational risks.
• Lead a diverse team of managers, operators, and engineers; develop high-performing leaders at all levels.
• Develops organizational capability through employee development, succession planning, performance management, and recognition programs.
• Provide senior oversight of all test campaign planning, including readiness reviews, execution protocols, and post-test analysis.
• Establish and maintain a strong nuclear safety culture, conservative decision-making practices, procedural compliance, and high standards of operational excellence.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of site operating programs, procedures, work controls, and management processes.
• Ensure the facility is appropriately staffed, trained, qualified, and prepared to support commissioning, initial criticality, startup, and sustained operations.
• Oversee operational readiness activities, including organizational readiness, procedure readiness, training and qualification, staffing, equipment readiness, and emergency preparedness.
• Develop and implement a progressive program to staff and operate next generation Small Modular Reactors that is safe, effective, and compliant.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), R&D, Operations, Quality, and others to establish and refine test procedures and operating envelopes.
• Ensure data integrity and reliability of operational and test systems, including SCADA, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Establish and refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) and shift operations frameworks across all testing and operational facilities.
• Implement reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and root cause analysis (RCA) methodologies for recurring issues.
• Oversee system upgrades, change control processes, and integration of new technologies or designs into operations.
• Ensure all operations are performed in strict compliance with EHS and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policies and licenses.
• Lead collaboration with EHS to develop and approve Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), permitting procedures, Risk Management Plans, and emergency response planning.
• Serve as an escalation point for all safety and operational incidents, ensuring robust corrective actions are implemented.
• Interface with senior leaders, program managers, and technical directors to communicate operational readiness, risk posture, and strategic recommendations.
• Represent engineering operations in cross-organizational working groups and governance forums.
• Support regulatory and audit preparation efforts as required by industry standards or internal review bodies.
• Oversee commissioning and transition to operations for new operational and experimental facilities.
• Lead cost-efficiency and capital-planning efforts across infrastructure and operational assets.
• Stay abreast of advancements in energy operations, plant engineering/operations, and automation relevant to testing environments.
• Additional duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field; advanced degree (MS, MBA, or PhD) preferred.
• Minimum 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in energy, nuclear, chemical, industrial, or other high-hazard or regulated operations, with at least 5 years of leadership experience managing technical or operational teams.
• Extensive experience and deep familiarity with P&IDs, process control systems (e.g., SCADA), instrumentation, or comparable industrial control systems.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Plant Manager/SRO certification and applicable emergency-response qualifications
• Demonstrated experience leading or overseeing complex engineering or industrial operations, including commissioning, startup, continuous operations, or similar operational activities; experience leading or overseeing 24/7 operations is highly desirable.
• Experience in nuclear operations, advanced reactor operations, nuclear commissioning, or startup of regulated nuclear facilities is desirable.
• Experience with radiological monitoring, radiological controls, and hazardous-material management is desirable.
• Experience supporting NRC licensing activities, regulatory inspections, audits, or other regulatory interfaces is desirable.
• Experience developing or overseeing operator training and qualification programs is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of commissioning, startup, operational readiness, and transition-to-operations processes.
• Knowledge of nuclear safety culture principles, conservative decision-making, procedural adherence, and operational discipline.
• Ability to develop, implement, and improve operating procedures, management processes, training programs, and qualification frameworks.
• Ability to establish and maintain data integrity, system reliability, and appropriate operational controls for test and plant systems.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in 24/7, high-risk operational environments.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational alignment capabilities.
• Expertise in operational excellence, continuous improvement, and system reliability.
• Advanced knowledge of SCADA systems, process controls, and P&ID interpretation.
• Skilled in risk identification, mitigation, and decision-making under uncertainty.
• In-depth understanding of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) standards, job hazard analyses (JHAs) development, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Proficient in change management and integration of new technologies into operations.
• Strong project and resource management skills to oversee infrastructure investments, operational budgets, and capital planning initiatives.
• Ability to stay current with advancements in energy systems and plant operations.
• Ability to work with highly collaborative team.
• Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of one self and others.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge.
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues.

Physical Demands

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
• Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)
• Moving self indifferent positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
• Remaining in a stationary position for prolonged periods
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
• Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 50 pounds in all directions
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
• Use hand tools

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment
• Laboratory environment (chemical)
• Prototyping/Testing environment
• Low temperatures
• High temperatures
• Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind
• Small and/or enclosed spaces
• Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
• Elevated heights
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE

• Ensure compliance with Control of Hazardous Energy and LOTO programs
• Works safely in nuclear and other high-hazard operating environments in accordance with applicable procedures
• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Color identification: detecting, distinguishing, recognizing and identifying colors
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety footwear, and other protective equipment based on assigned work conditions
• Handling of Beryllium (Be), nuclear materials, and other unique hazards

Certification

• Ability to obtain and maintain Plant Manager/SRO certification and applicable emergency-response qualifications

Additional Requirements

• Occasionally requires working weekends
• Frequently requires schedule flexibility
• Occasionally requires non-standard work-week hours
• Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
• Paid Vacation
• 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Kairos Power’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.