Senior Vice President, Operations

The Nuclear Company•Columbia, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Nuclear Company (TNC) is seeking a Senior Vice President (SVP), Operations to be the fleet-level owner of nuclear plant operations from fuel load through the full operating life of each facility. This is TNC’s first operations hire and one of the most important the company will make. The individual in this role will be responsible for building TNC’s operating organization from the ground up, establishing the nuclear safety culture, operating standards, staffing model, and regulatory posture. The role has two primary mandates: internally, to build and lead TNC’s operating organization and operate its plants safely, reliably, and efficiently; and externally, to develop and deliver operational readiness services and planning support for partners and utilities. TNC operates with an AI-first mindset, expecting all employees to leverage AI and technology to improve their work and contribute to the evolution of the Nuclear Operating System (NOS). The company values Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity, and emphasizes TRUST as the foundation of its safety culture.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in nuclear plant operations, with direct senior leadership accountability at a US nuclear generating station (Plant Manager, Vice President of Operations, or equivalent required).
NRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) or equivalent operating authority experience strongly preferred.
Direct experience building or significantly restructuring a nuclear operating organization.
INPO evaluation experience as a senior executive.
Experience with nuclear new build, plant restart, or initial fuel load operations strongly preferred.
Demonstrated nuclear safety culture leadership.
Commercial judgment sufficient to engage credibly with external partners on operational readiness services.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the pre-operational testing program, startup sequence, and NRC initial licensing inspection process is a significant advantage.

Responsibilities

Design and build TNC’s nuclear operating organization from the ground up, defining the structure, staffing model, qualification requirements, and training program.
Establish TNC’s nuclear safety culture from the first hire.
Develop the operating staffing plan for TNC’s lead project, identifying the number, qualifications, and timeline for licensed and non-licensed operating staff.
Coordinate with the SVP, Regulatory Affairs, Quality & Training on the training program for TNC’s operating organization.
Establish TNC’s operating procedures program, including emergency, abnormal, and normal operating procedures.
Engage during commissioning alongside the SVP, Deployment to ensure the operating organization is ready to receive the plant.
Own the fuel load readiness assessment, confirming all necessary elements are in place before fuel load.
Manage the NRC pre-operational inspection program in coordination with the SVP, Regulatory Affairs, Quality & Training.
Lead the initial startup program through initial criticality and power ascension testing to commercial operation.
Own long-term safe, reliable, and efficient operation of TNC’s plants across the full operating fleet.
Own the outage management program across TNC’s operating fleet.
Maintain TNC’s operating licenses across all facilities.
Engage with INPO and WANO as TNC’s senior operations representative.
Develop operating performance metrics and report to the President/CNO on a regular cadence.
Develop and deliver operational readiness advisory services for partners and utilities.
Support partners in developing operational readiness plans for facilities they will eventually operate independently.
Coordinate with the SVP, Nuclear Services on the commercial boundary for operational readiness services.
Build TNC’s reputation as the premier operational readiness partner in the US nuclear industry.