Director, Component Engineering

Company Overview

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

The Director, Component Engineering leads the organization responsible for mechanical component design and design activities under applicable ASME programs. This role oversees teams responsible for converting system, manufacturing, code, materials, and analysis inputs into complete component designs and design documentation, including drawings. This position requires cross-functional collaboration, technical leadership, and coordination across engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure successful design execution, integration, and compliance.

Responsibilities 

• Own the development and delivery of mechanical component and system designs, drawings, models, and analyses, in coordination with Design Analysis and Methods, [JH1.1][RS1.2]to system owners in the Power Plant Engineering and other requesting KP departments.
• Works closely with Design Analysis and Methods group to ensure requests from Component Engineering for structural, thermal, and piping analyses are supported.
• Mature and maintain strategies for implementation the ASME Section VIII design and construction program and the ASME Section III-guided design and construction program.
• Lead component design work performed under applicable ASME Section VIII requirements and company quality procedures, including support for the development of User Design Specifications and preparation of required design documentation.
• Lead guided design work under applicable ASME Section III requirements and company procedures, including the planning, preparation, review, and release of required design documentation. Ensure code classification, design basis, load definitions, design inputs, documentation, and required reviews are identified and integrated into the component design approach.
• Coordinate and reconcile requirements from design teams in Power Plant Engineering, Materials, and Manufacturing; provide inputs to Design Analysis and Methods around required methods to support design work, as well as inputs to Materials on new materials and material data.
• Oversee resolution of fabrication and testing issues affecting component designs, coordinating technical dispositions and incorporating lessons learned into subsequent designs.
• Translate company strategy into measurable organizational priorities and decision principles.
• Determine and communicate explicit scope, schedule, risk, and resource tradeoffs across the organization.
• Maintain accountability for organizational outcomes and the consequences of scope, schedule, risk, and resource decisions within delegated authority, including decisions delegated to others.
• Ensure execution of strategic priorities, take corrective action when results are off track, and remove barriers teams cannot resolve.
• Establish organizational technical direction and decision boundaries are established, consistent with company strategy and designated technical authorities.
• Ensure material technical and safety risk, their potential consequences, and proposed mitigations are clearly documented and communicated to the appropriate authority, with risk acceptance decisions explicitly recorded.
• Personally engage in mission-critical technical or organizational decisions, crises, external reviews, or critical deliverables when judgment materially changes the outcome.
• Build the organization and leadership pipeline required for current and future strategy, including recruitment, staffing, and leadership development.
• Hold senior leaders and technical leads accountable for team capability, succession, performance, engagement, and retention.
• Ensure systemic operational or compliance weaknesses are corrected and that improvements are sustained across the organization.
• Communicate organizational direction and tradeoffs consistently to leadership, teams, and cross-functional partners.
• Establish alignment across teams, resolve cross-functional conflicts, and escalate tradeoffs that require broader leadership decisions.
• Set the organizational tone for accountability, integrity, psychological safety, and mission stewardship, and reinforce these values through visible decisions, resource choices, recognition, and corrective action.
• Drive effective collaboration across Materials, Design Analysis and Methods, and Manufacturing groups to ensure integrated outcomes.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or related discipline; Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.  
• 15+ years of experience in mechanical design, including significant involvement with ASME pressure vessel design.  
• 7+ years of engineering leadership experience managing cross-functional and multi-disciplinary design teams. 
• Experience managing engineering managers or technical leads with accountability for outcomes across multiple teams and work sites. 
• Experience in interpretating ASME Section III and Section VIII requirements and implementing design processes consistent with applicable code provisions and program requirements.
• Demonstrated success delivering mechanical designs from concept through to fabrication and testing.   
• Experience in design and analysis of pressure components and piping in industries such as nuclear, oil & gas, or petrochemical. 
• Familiar with ASME BPVC Sec III, Sec VIII, ASME B31.1 and B31.3 piping codes. 
• Prior experience working within product lifecycle management (PLM) and configuration control systems is preferred. 
• Experience working with high-temperature molten salt or other advanced high-temperature fluid systems is a plus. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of ASME Section III Div 5, ASME Section VIII, B31.3, and related design and pressure vessel codes.  
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD Mechanical, and pressure vessel design tools such as COMPRESS, PV Elite. 
• Ability to evaluate the completeness, consistency, and traceability of component design packages against approved design inputs and interface requirements.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing methods, welding, and materials selection for high-temperature and high-integrity systems.  
• Ability to lead managers and senior engineers; develop talent pipelines; foster a culture of accountability and collaboration.
• Ability to structure and oversee large, complex technical programs with competing priorities and multiple stakeholders.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation abilities; capable of conveying complex technical concepts to executives, peers, and external stakeholders. 
• Skilled at identifying risks, analyzing tradeoffs, and making data-driven decisions. 
• Ability to adapt methods and tools to evolving project needs and technological constraints.
• Ability to manage project schedules, resource allocation, and technical deliverables effectively.
• Excellent communication skills for interfacing with technical teams, regulatory bodies, and external stakeholders.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset with an emphasis on safety, reliability, and maintainability in design.
• Ability to work with highly collaborative team.
• Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of one self and others.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge.
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues.

Physical Conditions

• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
• Communicating with others to exchange information

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment
• Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE 

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE), to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes, and other PPE as required

Travel

• Some travel may be required (up to 20%)

Certifications/Licensure

• Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred but not required

Additional Requirements 

• Requires overtime and occasionally working weekends with schedule flexibility
• Requires non-standard work-week hours seldom
• Requires seldom extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $235,400 to $294,300 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
• Paid Vacation
• 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810