Construction Manager

Construction Manager / Owner's Representative

Radiant is an El Segundo, CA-based startup building the world's first mass-produced, portable nuclear microreactors. The company's first reactor, Kaleidos, is a 1-megawatt, fail-safe microreactor that can be transported anywhere power is needed and run for up to 5 years without refueling. Portable nuclear power with rapid-deploy capability can replace similar-sized diesel generators and provide critical asset support for hospitals, data centers, remote sites, and military bases. Radiant's unique, practical approach to nuclear development leverages modern software engineering to rapidly deliver safe, factory-built microreactors that use existing, well-qualified materials. Founded in 2020, Radiant is on track to test its first reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory this summer, with initial customer deliveries beginning in 2028.

About the Role

We are building a first-of-kind advanced nuclear manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and are seeking a hands-on Construction Manager / Owner's Representative to drive execution on the ground. This role is the company's onsite decision-maker during construction, responsible for translating aggressive schedules and evolving design intent into real, built outcomes.

This is a startup player-coach role, not a passive oversight position. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments, is comfortable making real-time field decisions, and can push contractors, designers, and internal teams to deliver.

The role is intentionally structured to either:

• Remain focused on capital projects and future build phases, or
• Transition into a site facilities / operations leadership role after construction.

Responsibilities & Duties

Owner's Representative & Field Execution:

• Serve as the primary onsite authority representing ownership during all phases of construction, upholding high standards of excellence for site safety and work completion.
• Maintain daily field presence, driving execution across GC(s), subcontractors, and vendors.
• Hold contractors accountable to schedule, manpower, sequencing, and quality commitments.
• Identify issues early and resolve them decisively to avoid schedule or cost impact.
• Review and manage RFIs, submittals, pay applications, and change orders with a bias toward speed and clarity.

Schedule-Driven Delivery:

• Own day-to-day schedule awareness and near-term lookahead planning.
• Leverage first principles / creative problem solving to recover lost time and protect critical path activities.
• Support cost tracking and change management with a strong understanding of trade-offs between schedule, scope, and cost.
• Ensure inspections, testing, and commissioning activities are sequenced to avoid delays.

Design Interface & Future Phases:

• Actively participate in design discussions for future construction phases, expansions, or follow-on facilities.
• Provide constructability, sequencing, and operational feedback to design teams based on real-world field conditions.
• Translate lessons learned from active construction into improved designs, scopes, and execution strategies for future phases.
• Support early planning for utilities, equipment layouts, access, maintenance, and operational flow.

Regulatory & Stakeholder Coordination:

• Interface directly with local AHJs, inspectors, and third-party reviewers.
• Coordinate closely with internal Engineering, Facilities, Operations, EHS, Security, and Regulatory teams to ensure alignment between design intent and field execution.
• Support documentation, turnover, and readiness activities required for a regulated manufacturing environment.

Transition to Operations (Optional Path):

• Drive facility turnover, commissioning, and startup readiness.
• Depending on business needs and candidate strengths, transition into a Facilities or Site Operations role owning:
• Preventive maintenance and service contracts
• Contractor oversight
• Building systems and utilities
• Continuous improvement and future expansions

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 7+ years of experience in construction management, owner's representation, or capital project execution for industrial or manufacturing facilities.
• Demonstrated success in onsite, field-driven roles with direct GC oversight.
• Strong command of construction sequencing, schedule control, and change management.
• Comfortable making decisions in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with limited precedent.
• Willingness to be fully onsite in Oak Ridge, TN, including weekends during active construction.

Desired Qualifications & Skills

• Experience delivering projects in highly regulated or high-consequence environments (energy, nuclear, defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing).
• Direct involvement in design-for-construction or design-for-operations efforts.
• Background that supports long-term ownership of site facilities or future build phases.

What Success Looks Like

• The project moves fast without losing control of scope or quality.
• Issues are resolved in the field before they escalate.
• Contractors are clear on expectations and execution standards.
• Design decisions improve with each phase based on real construction feedback.
• The facility transitions cleanly from build to operations, positioning the site for future expansion.

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to accomplish our mission.
• Must work 100% onsite at El Segundo HQ.