Director/Vice President, Nuclear Engineering

CSMC•Woolwich, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation (CSMC) is a Canadian deep-tech company developing advanced micro-reactor technologies for defence, aerospace, remote operations, and future off-world missions. Our work spans nuclear engineering, advanced materials, thermal-hydraulics, systems integration, and mission-critical energy systems. We are building Canada’s next great nuclear company — one positioned at the intersection of nuclear energy, defence innovation, space systems, and frontier engineering. Our team includes leaders from Canada’s top nuclear, aerospace, and space organizations. We are now seeking a Director or VP of Nuclear Engineering to help shape the next phase of our microreactor development program. The Director/VP of Nuclear Engineering is a senior technical leader responsible for CSMC’s nuclear engineering strategy, reactor design activities, and engineering governance. This role provides leadership across reactor physics, thermal-hydraulics, systems engineering, safety analysis, and regulatory readiness, while supporting early CNSC engagement and licensing strategy. You will work directly with the CEO, COO, Chief Scientist, and EVP Engineering Emeritus, playing a central role in advancing CSMC’s microreactor technology from concept to prototype and deployment. This is an on-site leadership role based in Waterloo, Ontario.

Requirements

Master’s degree (or higher) in Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
10–15+ years of experience in nuclear engineering, reactor development, or regulated nuclear programs.
Demonstrated experience in CNSC‑regulated environments, including VDR, PDR, or facility licensing.
Strong understanding of nuclear systems, reactor physics, thermal‑hydraulics, and multiphysics analysis.
Hands‑on experience with tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, OpenFOAM, MCNP, SERPENT, or equivalent.
Experience working within a nuclear management system and nuclear QA environment (CSA N286/N299).
Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams or technical programs.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, early‑stage engineering environment.
Legally authorized to work in Canada
Able to maintain valid work authorization throughout employment
Able to obtain and maintain Reliability Status or higher
Able to provide 5+ years of continuous, verifiable background history
Willing to undergo identity, employment, education, and criminal checks
Candidates must be eligible to undergo a FIRA, which may include review of: Foreign citizenship(s), Recent foreign residence, Immediate family ties abroad, Foreign financial, business, or government affiliations
Eligible to access Controlled Goods
Eligible to access export‑controlled technical data
Willing to undergo additional screening if required
Able to work on‑site in Waterloo, Ontario, as required for access to secure and controlled workspaces

Nice To Haves

Experience with advanced reactors, microreactors, or FOAK nuclear technologies.
Experience in defence, aerospace, or remote‑operations energy systems.
Background in robotics, automation, or mechatronics (asset).
Experience with prototyping, experimental systems, or test loop development.
Familiarity with nuclear economics, policy, and deployment strategy.

Responsibilities

Lead the Nuclear Engineering department, including reactor design, analysis, modelling, and systems integration.
Establish engineering processes aligned with CSA N286, N299, and CNSC expectations for design control, configuration management, and technical baselining.
Provide technical authority across reactor physics, thermal-hydraulics, multiphysics modelling, and safety-critical engineering decisions.
Oversee development of microreactor systems, including core design, heat-transport systems, shielding, and safety-related components.
Guide engineering teams in producing high-quality technical deliverables, design documentation, and analysis packages.
Support prototyping, test planning, and experimental validation activities.
Support early-stage regulatory engagement, including CNSC Vendor Design Review (VDR), pre-licensing discussions, and licensing strategy development.
Ensure engineering outputs meet regulatory defensibility standards and align with licensing basis expectations.
Collaborate with regulatory affairs, quality, and safety teams to prepare technical basis documents, safety analyses, and design submissions.
Manage multidisciplinary engineering teams and external partners across multiple concurrent projects.
Lead technical planning, resource allocation, risk management, and execution oversight.
Support proposal development, customer engagement, and strategic partnerships with government, national labs, and industry.
Produce high-quality technical reports, studies, and engineering assessments.
Present engineering findings to executives, regulators, partners, and internal review boards.
Represent CSMC in technical forums, industry groups, and strategic discussions.