Sr. Manager, Hardware Test Engineering

Overview

Oklo is looking for an experienced and driven leader to manage and grow our Idaho Falls test organization. This role will oversee the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of test programs, including prototypic thermal-hydraulic, materials, and tribology test systems. You will work closely with design engineering, safety analysis, and regulatory teams to ensure test data supports licensing and deployment of Oklo’s advanced reactors.

As Sr. Manager, you will both help set the vision and dive into the details: building teams, developing infrastructure, and solving problems. You will be instrumental in ensuring Oklo’s test team delivers high-quality, traceable data that enables our technology to move quickly and confidently through design, licensing, and deployment.

Candidates willing to relocate to Idaho Falls are preferred, although qualified remote candidates willing to travel up to 25% of the time will be considered.

• Own the roadmap for Oklo’s Idaho Falls test facility.
• Develop and maintain a structured approach for test planning, execution, and reporting that meets technical, regulatory, and safety requirements.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams of engineers and technicians to execute tests on time and within budget.
• Collaborate with design engineers to define test objectives, test acceptance criteria, and instrumentation strategies.
• Lead procurement and integration of major test equipment.
• Ensure data quality, traceability, and configuration control for all test results, with links to requirements and V&V artifacts.
• Build strong interfaces with safety, licensing, and regulatory teams to ensure test programs provide defensible results.
• Mentor and grow a high-performing test engineering team, fostering a culture of rigor, creativity, and accountability.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, nuclear, electrical, or related engineering discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in test engineering, with increasing responsibility in leadership or management.
• Experience in developing and executing test programs in highly regulated industries (nuclear, aerospace, defense, or similar).
• Familiarity with instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and facility operations.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering complex test programs.

• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant engineering field.
• Prior experience supporting regulatory submittals with test data.
• Familiarity with Siemens Teamcenter or other PLM/requirements traceability tools.
• Strong network within the test engineering and facility operations community.

• 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.
• Motivated: you are self-motivated and bring enthusiasm to the team, fostering a sense of purpose and teamwork.
• A team-player: you value collaboration and collective success.
• An excellent communicator: technically competent and clear in communication.
• Creative: able to identify and solve open-ended problems without micromanagement.
• Detail-oriented: strong emphasis on accuracy, grammar, and professional communication.

About Oklo Travel Requirements: Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice per quarter, based on business or team needs, including meetings and events.

Compensation: $160,000 - $180,000. Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

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 has pursued several regulatory milestones and collaborations with national laboratories to advance its technology.