Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer to join our Operations Engineering team.

Position Description

The Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer supports the planning, coordination, and field execution of commissioning and startup activities for Oklo facilities. This role helps transition systems and facilities from construction through testing, turnover, operational readiness, initial operation, and project completion.

The Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer works directly with Operations, Engineering, Construction, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, vendors, contractors, and other project organizations to ensure systems are properly scoped, tested, documented, accepted, and ready for operation. This engineer develops and reviews commissioning plans, test procedures, system turnover requirements, schedules, resource needs, and readiness criteria and then provides onsite engineering support during execution.

During field assignments, the Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer may serve as a system-based commissioning engineer, test engineer, shift test engineer, or field engineering lead. The engineer confirms system and test readiness, supports test teams, monitors plant response and test data, coordinates troubleshooting, resolves deficiencies, and ensures results are properly evaluated and documented.

This is a project-deployment role with remote work between field assignments. When assigned to an active commissioning or startup project, the Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer must be prepared to mobilize to the applicable project site for periods lasting several weeks to several months. Upon completion of an assignment, the engineer may return to remote work until mobilized for the next project. The frequency, location, and duration of assignments will vary based on company and project needs.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Develop and implement commissioning and startup plans, strategies, schedules, system-based work scopes, and execution methods

• Define commissioning boundaries, test objectives, prerequisites, acceptance criteria, required resources, and system turnover requirements

• Develop, review, verify, and maintain preoperational, commissioning, integrated, and startup test procedures

• Translate design requirements, safety requirements, specifications, calculations, vendor information, and system requirements into executable test methods and acceptance criteria

• Develop and maintain commissioning test matrices, requirements-traceability tools, system status records, turnover packages, and test completion documentation

• Support systemization and define the structures, systems, components, boundaries, and work packages needed for effective commissioning and turnover

• Coordinate construction completion, system walkdowns, punch-list resolution, turnover documentation, and acceptance of systems for testing

• Verify test prerequisites, plant configuration, test boundaries, equipment status, temporary configurations, instrumentation, personnel, and procedural readiness before test execution

• Participate in pre-job briefs, daily coordination meetings, shift turnovers, schedule reviews, and test-readiness reviews

• Provide field engineering oversight during commissioning and startup testing

• Monitor system response and test data in real time and compare observed performance against expected results and acceptance criteria

• Support operators and test directors during system manipulations, integrated testing, startup testing, and other significant plant evolutions

• Identify unexpected conditions, emerging risks, procedure deficiencies, equipment problems, and adverse trends during field activities

• Exercise stop-work responsibility when testing cannot be performed safely or within approved requirements and controls

• Coordinate troubleshooting among Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Construction, vendors, contractors, and other technical organizations

• Document test deficiencies, open items, nonconformances, corrective actions, retest requirements, and final dispositions

• Evaluate test results and prepare or support test reports, completion packages, turnover records, and recommendations for system acceptance

• Support the transition from component-level testing to system testing, integrated plant testing, startup testing, and operational acceptance

• Coordinate vendor and contractor testing and ensure activities are aligned with Oklo requirements, facility configuration, work controls, and project schedules

• Support development and implementation of work-control, tagging, lockout/tagout, foreign-material-exclusion, configuration-control, and equipment-status-control practices needed during commissioning

• Participate in operational-readiness reviews, management assessments, inspections, audits, and resolution of readiness findings

• Provide input to operating procedures, maintenance procedures, training materials, system descriptions, and operational programs based on commissioning and startup experience

• Capture lessons learned and use field experience to improve future test procedures, commissioning methods, plant designs, and repeatable deployment practices

• Support multiple Oklo projects and facilities as priorities, schedules, and project phases evolve

• Qualify as an Oklo plant operator or complete other assigned technical qualifications, as applicable

• Maintain awareness of fast-reactor design, commissioning methods, operating experience, testing practices, and relevant industry developments

Minimum Qualifications:

At minimum, we are looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in nuclear, mechanical, electrical, chemical, or another relevant engineering or technical discipline; equivalent directly applicable nuclear, commissioning, or operational experience may be considered in lieu of a degree

• Five or more years of experience in commissioning and startup, nuclear operations, system testing, field engineering, power generation, naval nuclear propulsion, national laboratory operations, construction completion, or another highly regulated technical environment

• Hands-on field experience supporting the testing, commissioning, startup, operation, maintenance, or troubleshooting of complex mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, or process systems

• Experience developing, reviewing, or executing technical test procedures, commissioning procedures, operating procedures, or similar controlled work instructions

• Experience translating design requirements, specifications, calculations, safety requirements, or vendor information into executable tests and acceptance criteria

• Experience reading and interpreting technical documents such as piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical single-line diagrams, wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, control narratives, system descriptions, specifications, calculations, and vendor manuals

• Working knowledge of system turnover, configuration control, work control, equipment status, test boundaries, and safe field execution

• Ability to evaluate system performance, interpret test data, identify abnormal conditions, and coordinate technical problem-solving in the field

• Demonstrated ability to work across Operations, Engineering, Construction, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, vendors, and contractors

• Strong technical writing, verbal communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills

• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions in dynamic field conditions using incomplete or evolving information

• Ability and willingness to mobilize to project sites for extended assignments lasting several weeks to several months

• Ability to work shifts, extended hours, nights, weekends, or holidays as required during commissioning and startup activities

• Ability to travel to Oklo facilities, national laboratories, vendor facilities, and other project locations as business needs require

• Ability to obtain and maintain unescorted access to nuclear facilities, if required

Bonus Qualifications:

Nice-to-haves include:

• Experience commissioning or starting up a nuclear facility, power plant, first-of-a-kind industrial facility, research reactor, microreactor, or Department of Energy nuclear facility

• Experience as a reactor operator, senior reactor operator, shift technical advisor, test engineer, system operator, engineering watchstander, or other nuclear facility operator

• Current or previous NRC Reactor Operator or Senior Reactor Operator license or certification

• Relevant qualification through the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, such as Engineering Officer of the Watch, Propulsion Plant Watch Officer, or Engineering Watch Supervisor

• Experience with sodium-cooled fast reactors, liquid-metal systems, fast-reactor technology, or sodium-system testing

• Experience with steam plants, heat-transport systems, electrical distribution, instrumentation and controls, digital control systems, or balance-of-plant systems

• Experience with systemization, construction completion, walkdowns, punch lists, turnover packages, completions-management software, or system acceptance

• Experience developing or executing preoperational, integrated, startup, surveillance, or acceptance testing

• Experience serving as a commissioning engineer, startup engineer, test engineer, shift test engineer, test director, or system-based commissioning lead

• Experience supporting joint test groups, test-review boards, readiness reviews, or other formal test-governance organizations

• Experience overseeing vendor or contractor testing and coordinating multi-organization field activities

• Experience with troubleshooting, root-cause evaluation, corrective-action programs, nonconformance resolution, or retesting

• Experience implementing work control, tagging, lockout/tagout, foreign-material-exclusion, configuration-control, or equipment-status-control programs

• Familiarity with applicable NRC requirements, Department of Energy requirements, industry standards, and nuclear safety and quality-assurance programs

• Experience working under a nuclear quality-assurance program

• Experience with field data collection, test instrumentation, data trending, test-result evaluation, and technical report preparation

• Experience working with regulators, national laboratories, construction contractors, vendors, customers, or other external technical stakeholders

Competencies

We are looking for a Nuclear Commissioning and Startup Engineer who is:

• Field-oriented and comfortable working directly with equipment, operators, technicians, contractors, and test teams

• A systems thinker who understands how individual components and systems interact as an integrated facility

• Able to convert design requirements and technical information into safe, practical, and executable field activities

• Disciplined in confirming prerequisites, boundaries, plant configuration, procedural compliance, and acceptance criteria

• Calm and methodical when responding to unexpected test results, equipment problems, changing conditions, and schedule pressure

• Willing to stop work, ask questions, and resolve uncertainty before proceeding

• Technically rigorous while remaining practical and focused on safe execution and project completion

• Comfortable moving between planning, procedure development, field execution, troubleshooting, data evaluation, and final documentation

• Able to coordinate multidisciplinary teams and maintain clear communication during complex or high-risk activities

• Prepared to live and work near project sites for extended periods while supporting major commissioning and startup campaigns

• Able to adapt between intensive field assignments and remote planning work as project needs evolve

• Passionate about clean energy

• An optimist at heart

• Passionate about 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

• An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!

• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

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. 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:

Salary: $1350,000-$185,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, 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.

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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.

Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent experience; 5+ years in commissioning, nuclear operations, or related; hands-on field experience; ability to travel and work shifts; U.S. person for export control; ability to obtain unescorted nuclear facility access.

Key Responsibilities

• developing commissioning plans
• executing test procedures
• providing field engineering support

Job Details

• Category: Engineering
• Seniority: Senior Level
• Commitment: Full Time
• Workplace: Remote — Santa Clara or United States
• Salary: USD 1,350,000 – 1,350,000 / year
• Languages: English

Benefits

• Generous paid time off
• Retirement plan

About Oklo Inc.

A company developing fast fission power plants and advancing nuclear fuel recycling for clean energy. — Industry: Advanced Research Institutions