Lead Recruiter

The Nuclear Company•Columbia, SC

7d•$118,000 - $140,000

About The Position

The Nuclear Company is hiring its first dedicated recruiting professional to build the workforce needed to develop next-generation nuclear reactors. The Lead Recruiter will recruit for a broad range of positions, including engineering, project and construction leadership, regulatory and licensing, supply chain, finance, and corporate roles. The role is hands-on, with a focus on candidate engagement, proactive networking, and closing hires in a small, highly competitive talent market. As the company grows from a founding team to hundreds of employees, the Lead Recruiter will partner with executives and leaders on hiring priorities and serve as a recruiting advisor. The role will establish the talent acquisition function, including its technology stack, processes, and future team structure, and will hire and develop recruiting team members as the company scales. The recruiter will also work across HR, Finance, and Legal on compensation, offers, relocation, and onboarding, while navigating regulated-industry considerations such as security clearances, background screening, and export controls. The company expects employees to use AI, technology, and its Nuclear Operating System (NOS) to improve and automate work. The Lead Recruiter will help identify and apply these capabilities to recruiting workflows. The position may involve representing the company at industry events, conferences, and hiring fairs, and the preferred experience section notes willingness to travel to project sites and offices.

Requirements

At least 8 years of recruiting experience, including significant full-cycle, in-house recruiting for technical, engineering, or project-based organizations.
Experience in the nuclear industry or a closely related field, such as utilities, power generation, EPC, defense, national labs, or another regulated, safety-critical industry, with the ability to speak credibly with technical candidates.
Experience implementing or optimizing recruiting tools and processes; experience building a talent acquisition function from the ground up or scaling one through major growth is ideal.
Demonstrated success hiring senior leaders and hard-to-find technical talent in competitive markets.
Strong sourcing skills and an activatable network, with a preference for direct outreach over passive postings.
Experience in a startup, new venture, or fast-growing company, and the ability to scale hiring quickly as the business grows.
Comfort with ambiguity, speed, and shifting priorities.
Excellent communication and influencing skills, with credibility to advise executives and candidates.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Direct recruiting experience for nuclear developers, reactor vendors, utilities, or large capital projects.
Experience supporting joint ventures, carve-outs, or companies backed by private equity or institutional investors.
Experience recruiting for large-scale construction, infrastructure, or project delivery workforces.
Familiarity with security clearance processes, export-control requirements, or NRC-related qualification requirements.
Prior experience building and leading a recruiting team, including hiring, managing, and developing recruiters.
Willingness to travel to project sites, offices, and industry events.
Hands-on experience with AI-enabled recruiting tools and automation.

Responsibilities

Partner with the executive team and leaders to understand hiring priorities, timelines, and role profiles.
Recruit directly for senior and critical roles, including technical and project leadership searches, while maintaining a pipeline for experienced and early-career hires.
Create a plan for growing the talent acquisition function, including when to add recruiters, coordinators, and sourcers and how to onboard and develop the team.
Build the talent acquisition foundation from scratch, including the ATS, CRM, sourcing tools, scheduling, reporting, and workflows connecting recruiting tools with HR, Finance, and Legal systems.
Hire, manage, and coach future recruiting team members as the company grows.
Proactively source scarce nuclear talent.
Activate and grow a professional network and build relationships with universities, military transition programs, professional associations, and specialized search partners.
Present the company’s story to candidates, positioning its startup pace, global investor backing, and energy mission.
Advise hiring managers on talent-market conditions, realistic timelines, and candidate attraction strategies.
Guide candidates through a personal experience from initial conversation to signed offer, and close hard-to-win talent.
Work with HR, Finance, and Legal on compensation, offers, relocation, and onboarding.
Navigate regulated-industry considerations, including security clearances, background screening, and export-control requirements.
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and hiring fairs.