Manager, Manufacturing 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 highly motivated Manager, Manufacturing Operations to lead shop-floor execution for component manufacturing in support of the company’s FHR technology development programs.

This role is responsible for managing the execution of component manufacturing, maintaining safe and effective shop operations, and ensuring manufacturing activities align with approved schedules, priorities, quality requirements, and changing R&D needs. The Manager will work closely with Machining, Welding, Manufacturing Planning and Production Control teams to verify schedule readiness, communicate shop capacity and constraints, and execute established priorities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily shop-floor operations with the Machining and Welding managers to support machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, and related manufacturing activities.
• Manage the execution of manufacturing work orders to produce high-quality components, prototype hardware, test equipment, and developmental-test assemblies.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing Planning and Production Control to:
• Execute established production schedules and work-order priorities.
• Verify job execution readiness prior to Production Control job release, including material readiness, tooling, drawings, work instructions, staffing, and equipment availability.
• Communicate shop capacity, progress, constraints, schedule risks, and recovery actions.
• Support accurate schedule status and completion reporting.
• Maintain operational flexibility on the shop floor to support changing priorities, rapid prototyping, developmental testing, and urgent engineering needs while preserving alignment with approved manufacturing priorities.
• Coordinate priority assignments and sequencing for shop personnel based on released work, shop conditions, safety requirements, and agreed priorities.
• Coordinate with engineering, PITA, operations, testing, quality, and manufacturing-planning stakeholders
• Participate in drawing and design reviews to improve manufacturability, cost effectiveness, GD&T application, fabrication approach, tooling, and process selection.
• Lead work-order execution planning, including estimates for manufacturing capacity and staffing time, routing considerations, and work-instruction readiness.
• Manage manufacturing equipment maintenance, repairs to ensure equipment is available to support standard job readiness and R&D commitments.
• Operate and program manufacturing equipment when needed to meet schedule, quality, or critical-project requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in shop processes, workflow, safety, quality, productivity, and responsiveness.
• Work with Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Facilities teams to maintain safe operations and support manufacturing-related infrastructure needs.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration, inclusive values, knowledge transfer, and a strong safety culture.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in fabrication, welding, and/or CNC machining.
• Minimum 5 years of experience managing fabrication, welding, and/or CNC machining teams.
• Demonstrated experience with CNC machining operations, including mills, lathes, routers, and 3-axis and 5-axis equipment.
• Demonstrated experience…