Senior Director of Manufacturing

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

7d•$210,000 - $290,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director of Manufacturing Center of Excellence will lead the development and implementation of strategies to enhance the design, prototype and manufacturing processes. This person will help ensure compliance with nuclear industry standards and foster a culture of hardware excellence. This role focuses on strategic oversight, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional collaboration to optimize efficiency, quality, and safety in nuclear reactor component manufacturing. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you will act as a change agent, coaching teams and leveraging digital tools to drive sustainable improvements and support the company's mission in clean energy production.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related field
10+ years of experience in design, prototyping and manufacturing operations, preferably in the nuclear, energy, or high-regulated industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership or excellence-focused role
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, coach cross-functional groups, and drive cultural change
Proficiency in CAD design tools
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and facilitation skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership
Willingness to travel for site visits, audits, or team collaboration

Nice To Haves

Passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality
Willing and able to learn quickly
Active and an effective communicator of priorities
Able to recognize, accept, and manage risk
Eager to work on a dynamic team, receive constructive feedback, and grow with us
Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving, while not leaning only on what has been done before
Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
An excellent writer who can write in modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
Able to communicate technical content and results verbally
A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.
Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.
A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.
An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.
Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.
Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for the Manufacturing Center of Excellence, aligning with business priorities, loss analysis, and external benchmarks to achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) such as quality, delivery, cost, and safety.
Lead the identification, planning, and implementation of process improvement initiatives using methodologies to enhance productivity and address root causes of inefficiencies.
Promote the application of best practices, standards, and innovations across manufacturing and vendor sites, including nuclear-specific protocols for radiation protection, material handling, and regulatory compliance (e.g., NRC, IAEA standards).
Coach and mentor design and manufacturing teams, production managers, and cross-functional stakeholders in autonomous operations, problem-solving, and change management.
Ensure adherence to nuclear safety culture, environmental health and safety (EHS) standards, and compliance with all relevant regulations, including risk assessments and process optimizations for supplier factories.
Collaborate with senior leadership to set continuous improvement targets, track project results, and report on progress, including cost savings, revenue impacts, and cultural transformations.
Support knowledge transfer and capability building through the creation of accessible platforms, training programs, and best practice repositories for global teams.
Manage project portfolios, budgets, and timelines for excellence initiatives, balancing client needs, stakeholder engagement, and conflicting priorities in a remote environment.