Senior Process Controls Engineer

Senior Process Controls Engineer

Santa Clara, CA or Remote

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Senior Process Controls Engineer for our recycling engineering team.

Position Description

The person in this role will be responsible for designing, implementing, troubleshooting, scaling, and monitoring various process control systems for the Oklo fuel recycling facility. Some subsystems may include off-gas separation, and waste immobilization. It will include collaboration with cross-functional teams including those with a focus on facility design, unit process equipment design, and licensing.

This position could alternatively be fulfilled by someone with experience and/or education in instrumentation and controls, electrical, chemical, or process engineering.

Specific Responsibilities May Include:

• Develop systems that meet facility and regulatory requirements
• Develop and document overall control philosophy – define key control variables, setpoints, and rationale to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient process operations
• Prepare and review control system documentation – including instrument loop drawings, logic drawings, cause-and-effect matrices, and interlock schemes
• Define and manage control and alarm strategies – establish alarm priorities, setpoints, and functional descriptions to support operator awareness and system safety
• Design and specify control system architecture – covering hardware, software, and network requirements for distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and human-machine interface (HMI) applications
• Generate technical documentation to be included in regulatory filings

Competencies

We are looking for a Senior Process Controls Engineer that is:

• Motivated by building, and getting technology deployed
• Energized by tackling and overcoming challenges
• Passionate about clean energy, and making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly-iterative startup environment
• 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
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally
• An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!

Minimum Qualifications

• Degree in Chemical or Electrical Engineering or similar
• 10+ years of experience in process controls engineering or similar field

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with nuclear fuel cycle and/or high-temperature/-corrosion facilities and operations
• Experience with control narratives/philosophies, piping and instrumentation diagrams, interlock lists, instrument specifications, and instrument set points
• Experience designing, managing, commissioning, and operating DCS, PLC, alarm, safety, and HMI systems
• Experience leading or serving as a subject matter expert in process hazard analysis studies
• Experience deploying or working on first-of-a-kind or pilot plants
• Commercial or governmental nuclear industry experience

Who You Are

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won't enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn't about a fake or arbitrary "pieces of flair" mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren't about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren't about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Even excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements: 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.

About Oklo compensation: $85,000-175,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

We are looking to fill this position immediately!

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo's Values Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes. Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition. Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy. Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.

Candidates should be aware that employment may be contingent upon successful completion of a drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing at any time in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.

Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer

Oklo is aware of recent recruitment fraud attempts targeting job seekers. Please be cautious of anyone claiming to represent Oklo who does not contact you from an official Oklo email address.

All legitimate communications from our recruiting team— including application updates, interview requests, and job offers — will come exclusively from an @oklo.com email. Oklo will never ask for sensitive personal information, payments, or account credentials during the hiring process.

If you receive suspicious outreach or have concerns about the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from Oklo, please contact us through the official channels listed on our website.