Director of Project Development

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

8d•$225,000 - $275,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Project Development owns the end-to-end execution of Oklo's Aurora powerhouse development pipeline. This role is the project execution spine of the Development organization, responsible for advancing multiple sites simultaneously from site control through financial close and FNTP. The team will grow with the project portfolio, including Senior Project Developers, Project Developers, and Associates, and will serve as the primary integration point across Development Engineering, Transmission & Interconnection, and coordinated functions (Environmental & Permitting, Project Finance). This individual will also support development of projects across other Oklo business lines, such as Oklo Isotopes, and development activities for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (NLICs).

Requirements

12+ years in energy generation or large load project development with demonstrated track record advancing projects from greenfield to financial close
Deep familiarity with the full development lifecycle: site control, permitting coordination, interconnection, and project financing
Exceptional cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management skills
Passionate about clean energy
Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
Willing and able to learn quickly
Eager to work on a dynamic team, receive constructive feedback, and grow with us
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 modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
Able to communicate technical content and results verbally
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. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Nuclear, utility-scale generation, or complex infrastructure experience strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Own the stage-gate development process for a portfolio of 5–10+ Aurora powerhouse sites concurrently
Drive each project from site control through engineering readiness, interconnection, NRC permitting coordination, and financial close
Serve as the primary owner of individual project schedules, budgets, and risk registers
Lead cross-functional coordination across Development Engineering, Transmission & Interconnection, and coordinate with Oklo's Environmental & Permitting and Finance teams
Build, manage, and mentor a team of Project Developers at varying seniority levels
Represent projects in executive-level milestone reviews and board reporting
Support development of projects across other Oklo business lines, such as Oklo Isotopes, including site readiness coordination, regulatory interface, and integration with the Aurora powerhouse development pipeline
Support development activities for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (NLICs) — multi-use nuclear sites integrating power generation, isotope production, and advanced nuclear research — coordinating across internal teams and external partners