Senior Associate, Project Finance

Senior Associate, Project Finance

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 valuesTransparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacityguide 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

This position is ideal for a highly analytical finance professional who thrives at the intersection of infrastructure, energy, and capital markets. The Senior Associate will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams across the organization (commercial, technical and legal) to facilitate origination, structure contracts, optimize project economics, and execute complicated and multi-party capital financing transactions to support TNC's execution.

Responsibilities

• Financial Modeling & Analysis
  • Build and maintain detailed project-level and portfolio financial models incorporating capital costs, operating assumptions, and financing terms.
  • Perform scenario and sensitivity analyses to evaluate key drivers of project economics and risk-return profiles.
  • Support valuation of structured financing transactions including sponsor equity, tax equity, project debt, and public-private partnerships.
• Transaction Support
  • Support the execution of complex project finance transactions, including due diligence, documentation review, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Prepare investment materials, term sheets, and presentation decks for internal leadership, lenders, and investors.
  • Conduct market and comparable analysis to benchmark financing terms and support negotiation strategy.
• Strategic Collaboration
  • Partner with cross-functional teams (Legal, Development, Engineering, and Government Affairs) to align financing structures with technical, regulatory, and policy objectives.
  • Closely coordinate with FP&A to assess impact of project-level economics in TNC's corporate financial plan.
  • Support the development of project pipelines and capital deployment strategies aligned with company growth plans.
  • Interface with potential lenders, investors, and advisors to build strong external relationships and represent the company in financing discussions.
• Process & Systems Development
  • Contribute to building internal project finance processes, tools, and templates to support repeatable, scalable deal execution.
  • Help establish key performance metrics and reporting standards for project-level and portfolio-wide financial performance.

Required Experience

Mission-driven, with a passion for accelerating clean energy and infrastructure development.

• Education & Experience
  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Engineering, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in project finance, investment banking, private equity, or corporate finance ideally within energy, infrastructure, or industrial sectors.
• Skills & Competencies
  • Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills, with advanced proficiency in Excel and financial modeling of levered non-recourse projects.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complicated concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modeling tax equity partnership economics (including full capital account build-ups)
• Familiarity with government-backed financing mechanisms, tax incentives, or DOE/loan guarantee programs is a plus.

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: Careers