Senior Vice President of Engineering

Title: SVP Engineering

Location: Remote / Hybrid (with 25-50% travel to Oak Ridge, TN)

Compensation: Executive Base + Performance Bonus + Equity + Comprehensive Benefits

The Opportunity We are seeking a visionary Senior Vice President (SVP) of Engineering to lead the commercialization and first-of-a-kind (FOAK) deployment of our advanced reactor technology. This is not a legacy utility role; it is a rare opportunity to transition breakthrough nuclear technology from R&D and conceptual design into a constructible, licensed, and commercially viable energy product. As a key executive in a high-growth advanced nuclear startup, you will build and direct a world-class multidisciplinary engineering organization, driving the rapid iteration of next-generation nuclear systems while upholding the uncompromising safety standards required to bring new technology to the grid.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercialization & FOAK Execution: Direct the complete engineering lifecycle—spanning core design, electrical, instrumentation & controls (I&C), and systems integration—to successfully deliver our first commercial advanced reactors.
• Startup Scaling & Leadership: Rapidly scale a high-performing, agile engineering organization. Recruit, mentor, and lead a team of Directors and Principal Engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, speed, and rigorous nuclear safety.
• Design for Manufacturability: Partner closely with Supply Chain and Construction executives to ensure conceptual and detailed designs are optimized for scalable manufacturing, modular assembly, and cost-effective deployment.
• Regulatory Design Certification: Serve as the ultimate technical authority for new regulatory frameworks, leading engineering defense for NRC or ONR design certifications and navigating the unique licensing pathways for advanced nuclear technologies.
• Executive Strategy: Collaborate with the CEO and executive board to align technical roadmaps with commercial milestones, investor expectations, and customer deployment schedules.

Required Qualifications

• Executive Experience: 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership with a minimum of 5 years at a VP or SVP level, scaling large technical teams in high-growth, venture-backed, or tier-1 OEM environments.
• FOAK Track Record: Demonstrated success taking complex, first-of-a-kind hardware from conceptual R&D through to commercial deployment. Experience in advanced nuclear (SMRs/microreactors) is ideal; parallel experience in commercial aerospace or highly regulated deep-tech will be considered.
• Technical Breadth: Deep foundational expertise in Systems, Electrical, or Mechanical engineering, with the proven ability to oversee complex, plant-wide integration.
• Agile vs. Nuclear Rigor: Unique ability to balance the rapid iteration required in a startup with the strict quality assurance (e.g., ASME NQA-1) and safety culture demanded by the nuclear industry.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Nuclear, or Mechanical); advanced degree (Master’s, PhD, or Executive MBA) highly preferred.

Confidential Executive Pipeline: We are currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified executives for an upcoming phase of organizational growth. All applications are held in the strictest confidence. Please note that while this represents an anticipated leadership requirement, immediate interviews may be deferred until the mandate is fully activated.