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…