Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)

Oklo•Idaho Falls, ID

12h•Onsite

About The Position

Oklo Isotopes is building U.S. radioisotope production capabilities for healthcare, space, industry, research, and defense applications. The Idaho Radioisotopes Laboratory (IRL) in Idaho Falls received its Material Possession License from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in February 2026. The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) will serve as the technical authority for radiation protection activities at the IRL and own the facility’s Radiation Protection Program. The role is intended for an experienced Certified Health Physicist or an equivalently seasoned radiation protection professional with strong technical judgment, operational leadership, and expertise implementing radiation safety programs. The RSO will ensure safe, compliant, and efficient radiological operations supporting isotope production, laboratory work, radioactive material handling, and facility readiness. The position combines strategic program leadership with hands-on operational involvement and will influence facility operations, licensing activities, operational readiness, and long-term safety culture. The role is on-site in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Remote work with frequent travel to site may be considered. Employees must attend onboarding in person at Oklo headquarters in Santa Clara, California, for the first two weeks and remote employees may be required to travel to headquarters twice per quarter based on business or team needs. The role may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws; eligibility may be limited to applicants who qualify as U.S. persons under applicable laws.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Health Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Radiochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in health physics, radiation safety, or radiological operations within regulated nuclear, isotope production, laboratory, or industrial environments.
Demonstrated experience implementing and managing radiation protection programs in regulated radiological environments.
Experience leading or supervising technical staff, including mentoring, training, and professional development.
Strong working knowledge of NRC regulations, radiation protection principles, ALARA practices, contamination controls, and radiological work planning.
Ability to communicate effectively with regulators, senior leadership, and multidisciplinary technical teams.
Strong technical writing, organizational, problem-solving, and operational decision-making skills.
Detail-oriented, with commitment to procedural compliance and technical rigor.
Sound judgment and decision-making in radiological and operational environments.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment and handle open-ended problems with creativity and limited guidance.
Clear and effective communication, teamwork, motivation, adaptability, and willingness to learn and receive constructive feedback.
Applicants must meet the applicable U.S. person definition to be eligible if the role involves access to information subject to U.S. export control laws.

Nice To Haves

Certified Health Physicist (CHP); strongly preferred.
Experience supporting radioisotope production facilities, hot cell operations, gloveboxes, or nuclear laboratory environments.
Experience supporting startup, commissioning, or operational readiness activities.
Experience interfacing with NRC inspectors, Agreement State regulators, or external regulatory agencies.
Familiarity with radioactive material transportation, waste management, and laboratory radiological controls.

Responsibilities

Serve as the designated Radiation Safety Officer and technical authority accountable for the IRL Radiation Protection Program under NRC requirements, applicable State regulations, and site procedures.
Establish, maintain, and enforce radiation protection standards, radiological controls, and operational procedures based on sound health physics principles.
Provide technical oversight and guidance for radioactive material handling, isotope production, contamination controls, radioactive waste management, and radiological work planning.
Lead, mentor, and develop radiation protection personnel, technicians, and operational staff.
Perform and oversee shielding analyses, dose assessments, contamination control strategies, ALARA planning, and radiological work reviews.
Integrate radiation protection requirements into facility modifications, operational procedures, commissioning, and infrastructure upgrades.
Serve as the primary technical interface with regulatory authorities for inspections, audits, licensing activities, and regulatory communications.
Help prepare, review, and approve regulatory documentation, license amendments, corrective action plans, radiological procedures, and radiation safety training programs.
Lead investigations of radiological events, abnormal occurrences, and operational issues, including root cause analysis and corrective action development.
Support operational readiness, emergency preparedness, and commissioning activities associated with IRL operations.
Partner with operations, engineering, maintenance, laboratory, and leadership teams to align radiation protection strategies with operational goals and long-term facility objectives.
Promote operational excellence, procedural compliance, industrial safety, and a strong nuclear safety culture.