Radiological Waste Engineering Lead - Early Deployments

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Radiological Waste Engineering Lead to join our engineering team.

Position Description

Oklo is developing advanced fission power plants and fuel cycle facilities to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale. Additionally, Oklo is developing isotope production facilities primarily for medical uses. As our portfolio expands across power generation, fuel recycling, isotope production, and future fuel cycle capabilities, we are seeking an experienced engineer to lead the strategy and technical execution of radioactive waste management across the organization.

The Radiological Waste Engineering Lead owns the development of waste management strategies from concept through operations. This role establishes waste processing approaches, disposal pathways, transportation strategies, waste minimization initiatives, and regulatory interfaces for both reactor and fuel cycle facilities.

You will work closely with process engineering, licensing, operations, safeguards, environmental compliance, construction, and business development teams to ensure radioactive waste considerations are incorporated early into facility and process design rather than addressed later in the project lifecycle.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys solving first-of-a-kind engineering challenges while building scalable systems that will support multiple future facilities.

Oklo is a fast-moving company where technical leaders are expected to make decisions, challenge assumptions, and help shape company strategy. We are looking for someone who enjoys operating in an entrepreneurial environment and is excited to help redefine how the nuclear industry approaches radioactive waste.

Our ideal candidate is self-motivated, technically excellent, collaborative, and comfortable working across multiple disciplines.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Technical Leadership
  
  • Develop enterprise-wide radioactive waste management strategies for advanced reactors, fuel recycling facilities, isotope production facilities, and supporting infrastructure.
  • Lead the development of radioactive waste system designs from conceptual engineering through detailed design.
  • Define waste characterization methodologies and acceptance criteria for disposal facilities.
  • Develop waste treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, and disposal strategies.
  • Evaluate waste minimization opportunities throughout facility design.
  • Support optimization of process flows to reduce waste generation.
  • Lead technical reviews of waste system designs developed by internal teams and engineering contractors.
  • Develop long-term strategies for waste disposition that support commercial deployment.
• Licensing & Regulatory
  
  • Develop licensing strategies supporting NRC radioactive waste requirements.
  • Prepare technical sections supporting NRC license applications and environmental reports.
  • Interface with the NRC, DOE, Agreement States, disposal facilities, and transportation authorities.
  • Interpret regulations affecting radioactive waste management and communicate impacts to project teams.
  • Support Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA), Environmental Reports, Safety Analysis Reports, and other licensing documentation.
  • Develop compliance strategies for low-level radioactive waste, mixed waste, hazardous waste, state-defined waste categories, and naturally occurring radioactive materials where applicable.
• Waste Transportation & Disposal
  
  • Establish onsite waste handling requirements.
  • Lead procurement or development of internal waste tracking system.
  • Develop transportation strategies for radioactive materials and radioactive waste.
  • Evaluate disposal pathways across commercial and government facilities.
  • Lead development and maintenance of commercial waste profiles.
  • Coordinate with disposal vendors and transportation providers.
  • Support waste classification and packaging requirements.
  • Develop cost models associated with long-term waste disposition.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  
  • Work closely with engineering, licensing, operations, and environmental compliance
  • Mentor junior engineers and establish best practices for radioactive waste engineering.
  • Develop internal standards, design guides, and engineering procedures.

Within your first year, you'll be expected to:

• Develop Oklo's enterprise radioactive waste strategy.
• Establish waste disposition pathways for multiple facility types.
• Lead radioactive waste system development for new facilities.
• Build engineering standards for waste characterization and management.
• Develop long-term relationships with disposal vendors and regulators.
• Influence facility designs to minimize lifecycle waste generation.
• Help position Oklo as an industry leader in advanced radioactive waste management.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in radioactive waste engineering, fuel cycle engineering, nuclear facility operations, or radioactive waste management.
• Strong understanding of radioactive waste classification and characterization.
• Experience with radioactive waste treatment and disposal pathways.
• Familiarity with applicable regulations including:
  
  • 10 CFR Parts 20, 61, 70, 71, and/or 72
  • DOT radioactive material transportation regulations
• Familiarity with DOE directives and guidance including
  
  • DOE/NE O 435.1, DOE M 435.1, and DOE O 474.2
• Experience preparing technical engineering documentation.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Nuclear Engineering or related field.
• Experience supporting NRC licensing or DOE approvals.
• Experience with fuel cycle facilities.
• Experience with isotope production facilities.
• Experience developing waste acceptance documentation.
• Experience with transportation package selection and certification.
• Knowledge of commercial low-level waste disposal facilities and waste acceptance criteria.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain one.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams

Competencies

We are looking for a Radiological Waste Engineering Lead that is:

• Passionate about radiological waste management
• Passionate about clean energy
• An optimist at heart
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• 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 a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Who you are:

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.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $140,000-$180,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.