Reactor Operations Lead

BlueCore Energy • Long Beach, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Our Mission Is Simple: Democratize Access To Clean Energy
Welcome to Blue Core Energy! We are on a relentless mission to democratize access to clean energy. By designing and building advanced floating Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) on barges right here in Long Beach, CA, we are bringing scalable, clean, and reliable power to the world. Joining our team means getting in on the ground floor of a revolution in marine small modular reactors (SMRs). If you are passionate, driven, and ready to tackle some of the most exciting challenges of our time, we want you on our team!
Our Values
Humility — We hold strong opinions loosely, say "I don't know," ask for help early, and let the best idea win regardless of who it came from.
Inclusivity — The best engineering comes from many perspectives. We build a team where everyone is heard, and we mean it.
Pragmatism — We solve the real problem in front of us, reuse what already works, and value a tested answer over an elegant one.
About the Role
The Reactor Operations Lead will build the foundational operating program for Nautilus, Blue Core’s flagship floating nuclear power plant, from the ground up—shaping the procedures, the crew, and the conduct of operations culture. Sitting within the Certification Department, this role operates at the intersection of reactor operations, regulatory licensing, and hands-on engineering. You will collaborate closely with the controls and digital twin teams to develop the plant simulator, define operator interfaces, and establish the operational architecture for a fleet designed around modern instrumentation and remote monitoring. As part of a founding team simultaneously pursuing DOE authorization, NRC licensing, ABS marine classification, and USCG vessel authorization, your work will seamlessly bridge engineering and licensing, ultimately becoming the core operational content of our regulatory submittals.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience executing and/or writing nuclear operating procedures in a strictly regulated environment.
• For Commercial Nuclear Candidates: Experience writing procedures to NRC standards, practical familiarity with 10 CFR 50.59 change control processes, and a solid understanding of human factors requirements.
• For Navy Nuclear Candidates: Deep hands-on procedure execution experience coupled with the proven ability to rapidly learn and apply DOE and NRC regulatory language.
• Exceptional technical writing ability; your procedures and documentation will be central to our safety case and must withstand rigorous review by DOE and NRC regulators.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience working on new reactor builds, first-of-a-kind engineering projects, or in highly cross-functional startup environments.
• Familiarity with the integration of digital twin technologies, modern control room simulators, or remote-monitored operational architectures.
• Ability to travel to Idaho National Laboratory and other locations as needed.

Responsibilities

• Write the complete reactor operating procedure set from scratch, including format guides, INL criticality procedures, full-power operations procedures, and all supporting Verification & Validation (V&V) documentation.
• Partner with the controls and digital twin teams to develop the plant simulator and define how operators will interact with a reactor built for modern instrumentation and remote monitoring.
• Produce critical operational content for our DOE safety basis (including the DSA and Technical Safety Requirements) and the NRC license application (specifically FSAR Chapters 13 and 16).
• Contribute operational expertise across the Certification Department by helping write safety analysis chapters, drafting NRC RAI responses, and building technical arguments that apply existing regulations to a novel floating facility.
• Coordinate with engineering, licensing, training, and leadership to ensure operational requirements and human factors are embedded in the reactor design from day one, avoiding late-stage retrofits.
• Collaborate with the Training Lead to build qualification cards and establish the foundational training program for future reactor crews.
• Travel to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and other applicable sites to support testing, vendor coordination, and regulatory engagement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed