{"id":3658400,"url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations","title":"Senior Manager, Engineering Operations","company":{"id":97164,"name":"Kairos Power","domain":"kairospower.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/kairospower","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":77,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.714,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":85,"computed_at":"2026-11-11T05:49:22Z"}},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Albuquerque, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"NRC Licensing","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-02T23:26:23Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-02","last_verified_at":"2026-11-11T15:01:41Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":8,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":8},"description":"Company Overview\nKairos 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.\nJob Summary\nKairos 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. \nThe 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. \nThis role will work out of our Albuquerque, NM location for approximately for the first 12 months and then transition to Oak Ridge, TN thereafter. \nResponsibilities\nProvide vision and direction for 24/7 engineering operations, ensuring alignment with company objectives and milestones. \nDevelop and execute long-term strategic plans to expand operations capabilities, streamline execution, and enhance reliability across test platforms.\nEstablishes and reinforces operational standards, practices, and expectations that promote continuous improvement, safety, technical rigor, and operational excellence.\nIdentify, evaluate, and mitigate operational, technical, regulatory, safety, and organizational risks.\nLead a diverse team of managers, operators, and engineers; develop high-performing leaders at all levels.\nDevelops organizational capability through employee development, succession planning, performance management, and recognition programs.\nProvide senior oversight of all test campaign planning, including readiness reviews, execution protocols, and post-test analysis.\nEstablish and maintain a strong nuclear safety culture, conservative decision-making practices, procedural compliance, and high standards of operational excellence.\nLead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of site operating programs, procedures, work controls, and management processes.\nEnsure the facility is appropriately staffed, trained, qualified, and prepared to support commissioning, initial criticality, startup, and sustained operations.\nOversee operational readiness activities, including organizational readiness, procedure readiness, training and qualification, staffing, equipment readiness, and emergency preparedness.\nDevelop and implement a progressive program to staff and operate next generation Small Modular Reactors that is safe, effective, and compliant.\nCollaborate 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.\nEnsure data integrity and reliability of operational and test systems, including SCADA, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.\nEstablish and refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) and shift operations frameworks across all testing and operational facilities.\nImplement reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and root cause analysis (RCA) methodologies for recurring issues.\nOversee system upgrades, change control processes, and integration of new technologies or designs into operations.\nEnsure all operations are performed in strict compliance with EHS and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policies and licenses.\nLead collaboration with EHS to develop and approve Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), permitting procedures, Risk Management Plans, and emergency response planning.\nServe as an escalation point for all safety and operational incidents, ensuring robust corrective actions are implemented.\nInterface with senior leaders, program managers, and technical directors to communicate operational readiness, risk posture, and strategic recommendations.\nRepresent engineering operations in cross-organizational working groups and governance forums.\nSupport regulatory and audit preparation efforts as required by industry standards or internal review bodies.\nOversee commissioning and transition to operations for new operational and experimental facilities.\nLead cost-efficiency and capital-planning efforts across infrastructure and operational assets.\nStay abreast of advancements in energy operations, plant engineering/operations, and automation relevant to testing environments.\nAdditional duties as required. \nQualifications\nBachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field; advanced degree (MS, MBA, or PhD) preferred. \nMinimum 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in energy, nuclear, chemical, industrial, or other high-hazard or regulated operations, with at least 5 years of leadership experience managing technical or operational teams. \nExtensive experience and deep familiarity with P&IDs, process control systems (e.g., SCADA), instrumentation, or comparable industrial control systems. \nAbility to obtain and maintain Plant Manager/SRO certification and applicable emergency-response qualifications\nDemonstrated experience leading or overseeing complex engineering or industrial operations, including commissioning, startup, continuous operations, or similar operational activities; experience leading or overseeing 24/7 operations is highly desirable.\nExperience in nuclear operations, advanced reactor operations, nuclear commissioning, or startup of regulated nuclear facilities is desirable.\nExperience with radiological monitoring, radiological controls, and hazardous-material management is desriable.\nExperience supporting NRC licensing activities, regulatory inspections, audits, or other regulatory interfaces is desirable.\nExperience developing or overseeing operator training and qualification programs is desirable.\nKnowledge, Skills & Abilities\nKnowledge of commissioning, startup, operational readiness, and transition-to-operations processes.\nKnowledge of nuclear safety culture principles, conservative decision-making, procedural adherence, and operational discipline.\nAbility to develop, implement, and improve operating procedures, management processes, training programs, and qualification frameworks.\nAbility to establish and maintain data integrity, system reliability, and appropriate operational controls for test and plant systems.\nAbility to lead multidisciplinary teams in 24/7, high-risk operational environments. \nStrong strategic planning and organizational alignment capabilities. \nExpertise in operational excellence, continuous improvement, and system reliability. \nAdvanced knowledge of SCADA systems, process controls, and P&ID interpretation. \nSkilled in risk identification, mitigation, and decision-making under uncertainty. \nIn-depth understanding of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) standards, job hazard analyses (JHAs) development, and regulatory compliance. \nExcellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. \nProficient in change management and integration of new technologies into operations. \nStrong project and resource management skills to oversee infrastructure investments, operational budgets, and capital planning initiatives. \nAbility to stay current with advancements in energy systems and plant operations. \nAbility to work with highly collaborative team. \nAbility to solve problems quickly and efficiently. \nPrioritizes and ensures safety of one self and others. \nAbility to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge. \nAbility to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues. \nPhysical Demands\nAscending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like \nSetting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders) \nMoving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces \nRemaining in a stationary position for prolonged periods \nMoving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another \nAdjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 50 pounds in all directions \nCommunicating with others to exchange information \nOperating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery\nUse hand tools\nEnvironmental Conditions\nGeneral office environment \nLaboratory environment (chemical) \nPrototyping/Testing environment \nLow temperatures \nHigh temperatures \nOutdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind \nNoisy environments \nSmall and/or enclosed spaces \nOdors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions \nElevated heights \nAssessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned \nHigh-concentration, demanding and fast-paced \nSafety and PPE\nEnsure compliance with Control of Hazardous Energy and LOTO programs \nWorks safely in nuclear and other high-hazard operating environments in accordance with applicable procedures\nReading and interpreting hazardous warning signs \nManipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials \nReporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions \nColor identification: detecting, distinguishing, recognizing and identifying colors \nWearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety footwear, and other protective equipment based on assigned work conditions\nHandling of Beryllium (Be), nuclear materials, and other unique hazards\nTravel\nSome travel may be required, up to 10%\nCertification\nAbility to obtain and maintain Plant Manager/SRO certification and applicable emergency-response qualifications\nAdditional Requirements \nOccasionally requires working weekends \nFrequently requires schedule flexibility \nOccasionally requires non-standard work-week hours\nOccasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines\nAbout our Benefits\nWe 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:\nCompetitive compensation packages\nMedical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents\nPaid Vacation\n401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)\nKairos 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.\nKairos Power participates in E-Verify.\nCandidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.\nNote: 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...","description_format":"text","description_chars":12631,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Health insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Nuclear Energy","Nuclear Engineering"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-03T02:59:56Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"adverts_offering_sponsorship_24m":0,"sanctioned_now":false,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 1 · green card filings: 4","filings_12m":1,"filings_prev_12m":6,"green_card_filings_12m":4,"median_offered_wage_usd":140500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-11-11T07:38:50+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":8,"expected_fill_days":85,"reasons":["conf:4","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-11T05:49:22Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-11T15:38:59Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":29233,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-12T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":97164},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=97164"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/kairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-manager-engineering-operations"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3658400}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"kairospower.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3658400},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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