Program Director - Power Now Nuclear Later

AMPERA INC•Palm Beach Gardens, FL

About The Position

AMPERA is seeking a Program Director to lead the company’s Power Now Nuclear Later initiative, a strategic program intended to accelerate commercialization of AMPERA’s advanced energy technologies while building capabilities, products, and customer relationships that support the company’s long-term nuclear mission. The Program Director will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering a first-of-a-kind commercial power generation platform based on a supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) power conversion system integrated with a conventional external heat source and advanced compact heat exchanger technology. The program includes acquisition and testing of an existing sCO₂ power system, development of a next-generation compact system architecture, design and qualification of a proprietary TPMS-based primary heat exchanger, management of additive manufacturing partners, integration of a commercial gas-fired heat source, certification and product qualification activities, manufacturing readiness, and transition to commercial production. The Program Director serves as the single point of accountability for program execution, schedule, budget, risk management, supplier coordination, and cross-functional integration. In addition to Power Now Nuclear Later program responsibilities, the Program Manager will establish AMPERA's program management processes, reporting cadence, risk management framework, and program governance structure. This position reports through the Program Management Office and works directly with executive leadership, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, commercial, and external partners. The Program Director is not the technical authority for the product and does not manage engineering personnel. Technical authority resides within the Engineering organization. The Program Director is responsible for ensuring the organization delivers the program objectives on schedule and within budget.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Operations, Manufacturing, or a related technical discipline.
10+ years of experience leading complex multidisciplinary hardware development programs.
Demonstrated success delivering products from concept, prototype, or demonstration through production readiness.
Experience coordinating engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, testing, quality, and commercial organizations.
Experience managing external suppliers and strategic partners.
Strong understanding of systems engineering and product development processes.
Exceptional organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field.
Experience in energy systems, turbomachinery, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, industrial equipment, defense systems, or nuclear technology.
Experience with supercritical CO₂ systems, thermal systems, heat exchangers, turbomachinery, or power generation equipment.
Experience transitioning products from prototype to production.
Experience managing qualification, certification, or regulatory approval programs.
Experience with additive manufacturing technologies and supplier qualification programs.
Familiarity with project controls, earned value management, and integrated master scheduling.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of the Power Now Nuclear Later program.
Develop and maintain the integrated master schedule, program budget, milestone plan, and risk register.
Establish program objectives, key performance indicators, and success metrics.
Coordinate activities across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, testing, finance, and commercial organizations.
Lead executive program reviews and status reporting.
Drive accountability for commitments and deliverables across all participating functions.
Coordinate development of the next-generation compact sCO₂ power system architecture.
Ensure alignment among system design, testing, manufacturing, certification, and commercial objectives.
Manage cross-functional interfaces and integration activities.
Coordinate major design reviews, readiness reviews, and program decision points.
Lead planning and execution of testing activities for the acquired sCO₂ power conversion system.
Coordinate performance characterization, reliability testing, and validation campaigns.
Ensure lessons learned are captured and incorporated into future product designs.
Manage progression from demonstration to qualified product.
Lead commercial and programmatic activities associated with acquisition and integration of the program heat source.
Coordinate supplier selection, contract execution, and performance management.
Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers and manufacturing partners.
Manage long-lead procurement activities and supplier risk mitigation plans.
Coordinate development and qualification of AMPERA’s proprietary TPMS-based primary heat exchanger technology.
Drive execution of design, analysis, testing, qualification, and manufacturing readiness activities.
Manage external additive manufacturing partners utilizing powder-bed laser fusion processes.
Support development of long-term strategies for internal manufacturing capability.
Develop and execute product certification and qualification plans.
Coordinate generation of technical evidence required to support certification activities.
Ensure program activities are aligned with applicable codes, standards, and customer requirements.
Lead transition from development to production.
Coordinate manufacturing readiness assessments and production planning activities.
Partner with supply chain and manufacturing organizations to establish scalable production capabilities.
Support commercial deployment planning and customer engagement activities.