Director of Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE)

The Nuclear Company•Washington, DC

3d•$198,000 - $228,000

About The Position

The Nuclear Company is a rapidly growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy sector, focused on accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy through a fleet-scale approach and a design-once, build-many model. The company emphasizes an AI-first mindset, expecting all employees to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) to enhance their work. They seek individuals driven by purpose, comfortable with ambiguity, and energized by innovation. The team values intellectual curiosity, high agency, candid feedback, continuous learning, and exceptional standards, guided by core values of Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappy, and Tenacity. TRUST is fundamental to their safety culture, promoting honesty, accountability, and open communication. TNC Services, the company's services division, supports the existing nuclear fleet with specialized maintenance, outage execution, technical expertise, engineering, construction, and workforce solutions, while also advancing future nuclear energy. This role, Director of Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE), is responsible for the enterprise HSE strategy and provides executive leadership for Health, Safety, Environmental, Industrial Hygiene, and Human Performance across The Nuclear Company and TNC Services. The Director will build and govern a comprehensive HSE management system for various operations including nuclear operations, engineering, construction, manufacturing, field services, and fleet deployment, ensuring regulatory and customer compliance. This leadership position involves close collaboration with Executive Leadership, Operations, Engineering, Construction, HR, and Project Management to integrate safety into business decisions and cultivate a culture of trust, visible leadership engagement, and employee ownership.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive HSE experience, including leadership responsibility within commercial nuclear, energy, construction, manufacturing, industrial maintenance, or other heavy industrial operations.
Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field—or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing enterprise or multi-site HSE management systems.
Extensive knowledge of OSHA requirements, environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, and industrial safety programs.
Experience leading incident investigations, root-cause analyses, and corrective action programs.
Experience overseeing workers’ compensation claims, regulatory reporting, and return-to-work programs.
Strong understanding of Human Performance and organizational learning principles, with experience advising and influencing executive leadership.

Nice To Haves

Commercial nuclear power experience, including new nuclear construction, fleet operations, or major capital projects.
CSP, ASP, CIH, CHMM, and/or PMP certification.
Experience operating in NRC-regulated environments and supporting both union and non-union workforces.
Experience implementing AI-enabled safety systems, predictive analytics, or digital HSE reporting platforms.
Knowledge of INPO performance standards and applicable EPRI guidance.

Responsibilities

Set the enterprise HSE strategy, vision, standards, and KPIs.
Advise executive leadership on HSE performance, organizational risk, and regulatory compliance.
Champion Human Performance and organizational learning.
Develop and govern scalable enterprise programs for safety leadership, hazard analysis, pre-job briefs, stop-work authority, contractor safety, industrial hygiene, corrective actions, and proactive risk identification.
Oversee compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, state environmental agencies, and applicable customer and commercial nuclear requirements.
Support regulatory inspections, customer audits, and third-party assessments.
Oversee incident investigations, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, regulatory reporting, workers’ compensation claims, and return-to-work programs.
Ensure lessons learned are shared and applied across the organization.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Construction, and Project Management to embed HSE into project planning and execution across nuclear construction, manufacturing, fleet deployment, and field services.
Maintain a visible presence at project and customer sites.
Use AI, the Nuclear Operating System (NOS), and digital tools to identify trends, predict risk, automate reporting, and strengthen safety performance.
Recruit, mentor, and develop HSE professionals.
Strengthen enterprise training, leadership capability, and succession planning to support company growth.