Chief of Staff to the Chief Product Officer (Santa Clara)

Chief of Staff to the Chief Product Officer

Santa Clara, CA or Remote

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Chief of Staff (CoS) to our Chief Product Officer (CPO).

Position Description

Oklo is hiring a Chief of Staff to work directly with the CPO and create real operating leverage for the CPO and Product organization. This is not a traditional calendar‑management role. It is a high‑trust role that operates across Product and cross‑functionally across Oklo. The CoS will keep open loops from falling through the cracks, turn fast and messy conversations into clear decisions and actions, help prepare and synthesize meetings and materials, coordinate across leaders, product lines, and deployments, and build better systems so the organization is not solving the same problem twice. Success means the CPO has more time with direct reports, more space for deep‑focus work, and a Product organization that feels more focused, faster, and better coordinated. Frequent travel to support the CPO may be required.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Create operating leverage for the CPO by managing priorities, communications, time, follow‑through, decision support, and organizational coordination
• Keep open loops, pending decisions, follow‑ups, commitments, risks, and dependencies from falling through the cracks across Product and key cross‑functional workstreams
• Turn fast, messy conversations into clear decisions, actions, owners, timelines, drafts, and follow‑through
• Prepare and synthesize meetings and materials, including summaries, rundowns, follow‑up notes, first drafts, decision documents, board materials, and executive communications
• Coordinate across direct reports, senior leaders, product lines, deployments, and cross‑functional partners to strengthen alignment and ensure the right people have the right context
• Protect the CPO’s time by improving calendar quality, reducing unnecessary meetings, creating space for deep‑focus work, and surfacing the most important topics quickly
• Build better systems and repeatable workflows using AI, automation, and modern tools so recurring work is faster, cleaner, and more scalable

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8‑10 years of experience supporting or partnering with a senior executive, ideally a CEO, CPO, COO, technical founder, or similarly high‑demand executive
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive‑ready materials
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex priorities, communications, calendars, follow‑through, and sensitive information with excellent judgment
• Prior experience in a Chief of Staff, executive business partner, senior executive assistant, business operations, product operations, technical program/product operations, or similar high‑leverage executive support role
• Experience working closely with Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Safety, Quality, Construction, Deployment, Commercial, or other business‑side teams

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience working in a fast‑paced startup environment or within the renewable energy, nuclear, aerospace, or a similarly complex, highly regulated industry
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), or a closely related technical field
• Experience using AI tools, automation, workflow systems, or advanced productivity tools to streamline executive operations preferred

We are looking for a Chief of Staff that is:

• Passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Hungry, proactive, and willing to do the work; this is not a narrow‑lane or wait‑to‑be‑told role
• Technically fluent enough to keep up or possess meaningful experience in technical, engineering, STEM, or technology‑driven environments
• A strong writer and synthesizer with excellent judgment, discretion, and attention to detail
• Practical and organized; someone who creates structure without adding unnecessary process
• Comfortable with direct communication, candid feedback, high accountability, technical complexity, shifting priorities, and extensive travel
• Energized by important, messy, fast‑moving work and not looking for a slow pace, heavy hierarchy, or a tightly defined box
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving, while not leaning only on what has been done before
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems

Who you are:

• Startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency over excess process.
• Self‑motivated: You bring enthusiasm to the team and a passion that goes beyond routine work.
• Team‑player: Collaboration is central; you share ownership and avoid blame.
• Excellent communicator: Clear, upbeat communication is essential.
• Creative: You identify problems beyond scope and invent solutions without micromanagement.
• Detail‑oriented: Excellent grammar, spelling, and consistency matter for both communication and company image.

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off‑sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA. This is a remote role with frequent travel to support the CPO as needed.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer

Oklo is aware of recent recruitment fraud attempts targeting job seekers. Legitimate communications from our recruiting team will come exclusively from an @oklo.com email address. Oklo will never ask for sensitive personal information, payments, or account credentials during the hiring process.