Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a Buyer III to support procurement activities across Kairos Power, with a primary focus on raw material purchasing for manufacturing operations. In this role, you will partner closely with Manufacturing, Planning, Material Handling, Engineering, suppliers, and Supply Chain & Procurement (SC&P) to support material readiness, manage supplier performance, and resolve supply issues.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership of their work, communicates openly, builds strong relationships, and is comfortable learning in an evolving manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will be supported in developing deep knowledge of Kairos' raw material supplier base and manufacturing requirements while contributing ideas and improvements as their expertise grows.

Responsibilities

Manage the full procurement lifecycle for assigned raw material commodities and support general procurement activities across Kairos Power as needed, including RFQs, purchase order placement, supplier communication, and order management.
Serve as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned raw material commodities, partnering closely with Manufacturing, Material Handling, Planning, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and SC&P leadership to support production readiness and resolve supply issues.
Develop expertise in Kairos’ raw material program requirements, supplier capabilities, manufacturing requirements, and Kairos’ procurement processes to support effective and timely purchasing decisions.
Organize and prioritize assigned procurement activities, monitor supplier commitments, proactively communicate risks and changing priorities, and work collaboratively with teammates and stakeholders to drive timely resolution of supply issues.
Obtain and evaluate supplier quotations, analyze commercial terms, support negotiations, and ensure purchase orders are accurate, compliant, and aligned with company policies and contractual requirements.
Analyze supplier performance and procurement data to identify opportunities to improve supplier reliability, inform inventory decisions, reduce risk, and support manufacturing objectives.
Build trusted relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders through clear, responsive communication while serving as a knowledgeable procurement resource and supporting knowledge sharing within the team.
Proactively identify and implement practical improvements to procurement processes, supplier management practices, and cross-functional workflows that improve efficiency, scalability, and manufacturing support.
Prepare and communicate procurement status, supplier performance, and material risk updates to internal stakeholders and leadership.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
4+ years of procurement, purchasing, or sourcing experience; candidates considered at the Buyer III level should demonstrate greater independent judgment, ownership, and experience with moderately complex procurement activities.
Experience supporting manufacturing operations through procurement, purchasing, sourcing, materials, or supply chain activities.
Experience managing supplier relationships, purchase orders, RFQs, and commercial purchasing activities.
Direct experience purchasing raw materials or production-critical manufacturing commodities is highly preferred; experience with metals, alloys, industrial materials, or similar manufacturing commodities is a plus.
Experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Planning, Material Handling, Engineering, Operations, or similar internal stakeholders.
Experience using ERP or procurement systems such as Coupa, SAP, Oracle, Ariba, or equivalent.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Working knowledge of the procurement lifecycle, including supplier identification, RFQs, commercial evaluation, purchase order management, and supplier performance management.
Strong self-organization and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple procurement activities, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing manufacturing and business priorities.
Apply analytical problem-solving skills and initiative to investigate unfamiliar or ambiguous procurement issues, use available information and resources, exercise sound judgment, and seek input when needed.
Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to create and maintain effective relationships with suppliers, teammates, and cross-functional partners.
Demonstrates integrity, positive intent, and respect in working relationships; communicates directly and constructively, actively listens, raises questions when needed, and welcomes feedback and differing perspectives.
Openness to learning new commodities, manufacturing processes, supplier capabilities, and internal systems, with the ability to quickly apply new knowledge and expand procurement capability.
Ability to analyze supplier and procurement data, identify risks, and recommend practical actions that improve cost, schedule, quality, or reliability.
Bring a proactive, continuous-improvement mindset by identifying practical opportunities to strengthen procurement processes, supplier management practices, and cross-functional ways of working.
Ability to proactively collect, document, manage, and share procurement knowledge across the team.
Demonstrate a mission-centered and responsible approach by understanding how procurement work supports Kairos Power's goals, delivering on commitments, using resources thoughtfully, and maintaining strong safety expectations.
Ability to evaluate supplier quotations and commercial terms, assess cost and business tradeoffs, and support supplier negotiations.
Ability to interpret and apply procurement policies, purchase order requirements, and applicable contractual terms in purchasing activities.

Physical Demands

Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
Communicating with others to exchange information

Environmental Conditions

General office environment
Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced
Manufacturing/Industrial Environments

Safety and PPE

Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes, etc. when required.

Travel

Up to 10% travel may be required.

Additional Requirements

Seldom requires overtime

#LI-Onsite

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

Competitive compensation packages
Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
Paid Vacation
401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810

About the company

Kairos Power develops the KP-FHR, a low-pressure fluoride-salt–cooled high-temperature reactor that uses TRISO fuel to produce electricity. Heat is transferred with a high-temperature, single-pass molten fluoride salt loop to a conventional power cycle, while the reactor stays at low pressure for safety. The company builds test units and Hermes demonstration reactors to de-risk licensing, manufacturing, and construction before deploying fleets of commercial reactors. It has a 500 MW agreement with Google and a TVA power purchase agreement, targets first power around 2030, and is backed by DOE cost-share funds and private investors, with Samsung C&T collaborating on deployment.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$643M

Headquarters

Alameda, California

Founded

2016

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Samsung C&T pledged up to $100 million plus EPC support on September 21, 2026.
NuCAMP, launched August 18, 2026, expands Oak Ridge manufacturing and workforce capacity.
DOE ARDP funding and ORNL's $27 million partnership strengthen technical de-risking.

What critics are saying

Hermes 1's completion slipped to April 2029 after a 2026 license amendment request.
Hermes 2 must still hit 2030, leaving little slack for construction delays.
Any TRISO, salt-supply, or licensing failure kills Google's 500-megawatt commercialization plan.

What makes Kairos Power unique

Kairos won NRC Hermes 2 approval and broke ground in April 2026.
Its KP-FHR pairs TRISO fuel with fluoride salt cooling for low-pressure operation.
Google and TVA committed 500 megawatts, validating Kairos's commercial path.

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Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Vacation
401(k) Company Match
401(k) Retirement Plan

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth

Energy Central

Oct 15th, 2026

Kairos Power raises $643M for advanced nuclear reactors to power Google data centres

Kairos Power has raised $643M to fund advanced nuclear technology slated to power Google data centres. The money will support Hermes 2, a 50MW molten salt demonstration reactor planned to switch on in 2030. Investors including Google Ventures and Samsung C&T are providing $368M, while the US Department of Energy (DOE) is supplying $275M. In 2024, Kairos announced a partnership with Google to build 500MW of advanced nuclear reactors by 2035. First, the company must prove its technology is ready for wide use.

Interesting Engineering

Oct 15th, 2026

Automated inspection checks each fuel pebble.

Automated inspection checks each fuel pebble. Kairos Power is developing fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology that uses spherical fuel elements, commonly called pebbles. Before the pebbles enter testing platforms or are prepared for transport, the new automated line subjects them to a series of quality checks. The system measures each pebble's diameter, geometry, and density in real time to confirm it meets manufacturing specifications. High-precision lasers then scan the exterior surface at the micron level to assess its structural integrity. Automating these checks allows the company to process pebbles while collecting standardized measurements for individual records. The resulting data can help engineers identify manufacturing variations and improve subsequent production campaigns. Rather than relying solely on batch-level records, the system links inspection results to each pebble, providing more detailed information about the fuel elements entering tests. Laser codes create individual fuel records. After inspection, each pebble moves to an infrared laser engraving station. The system etches three redundant data matrix codes, similar to QR codes, into the graphite surface, with markings approximately half a millimeter deep, according to the company. Each code links the pebble to an individual record containing its dimensions, density measurements, production batch, and inspection status. Additional markings around the codes let optical systems identify different pebble types if a data matrix is damaged. That traceability could become increasingly important as Kairos Power expands its fuel development and testing activities. By linking physical fuel elements to manufacturing and inspection data, engineers can track individual pebbles through downstream handling and testing. The company also expects the markings to help distinguish different pebble types, improve fuel-consumption measurements, and strengthen material accountability during reactor operations. "By automating our quality control and laser-engraving processes in-house, we are building the foundational capabilities and traceability required to support our iterative approach to fuel development," said Kirby Boone, a senior engineer on Kairos Power's fuel team. Boone added that the system will generate data to inform future manufacturing and handling systems, from Hermes 2 to the company's planned commercial fleet. Supporting Hermes 2 and future fuel production. The automated line is currently processing pebbles for upcoming hardware demonstrations, with a near-term target of 70,000 inspected fuel elements for testing platforms that include the second ETU. The system is also intended to support Hermes 2, the company's planned demonstration plant in Oak Ridge. Kairos Power is developing the inspection infrastructure in-house so it can use lessons from each production campaign to refine manufacturing processes and prepare for larger-scale fuel production.

Bloomberg

Oct 14th, 2026

Nuclear startup Kairos raises $643 million for Tennessee project.

Nuclear startup Kairos raises $643 million for Tennessee project. October 14, 2026 at 12:53 PM PDT Kairos Power LLC, a nuclear-energy startup, lined up $643 million in private and government funding to support construction of its demonstration reactor in Tennessee. The funding comprises $368 million from backers including Google Ventures and DCVC, as well as $275 million in financing from the US Energy Department, according to Kairos Chief Executive Officer Mike Laufer. The private investment includes $70 million from Samsung C&T Corp. through a partnership announced last month.

TechAmerica

Sep 22nd, 2026

Kairos Power Gets Up to $100 Million From Samsung for Google Nuclear Reactor Project

Kairos Power gets up to $100 million from Samsung for Google nuclear reactor project. Discover more Join Trade Groups Track Tech Trends Explore AI Tools Kairos Power receives up to $100 million from Samsung C&T to help build a 50MW nuclear reactor planned to supply Google's data centres. Sep 22, 2026 - 12:22 Sep 22, 2026 - 12:23 Kairos Power has selected Samsung C&T to support the construction of a 50-megawatt demonstration nuclear reactor planned for Google. The partnership includes an equity investment and engineering services worth up to $100 million. Discover more Try CAD Software Compare Business Loans Upgrade Laptop Hardware Under the agreement, Samsung C&T will invest $70 million in Kairos Power and provide additional engineering support. Samsung C&T has previously participated in constructing nuclear reactors around the world. Kairos Power's reactor plans for Google. Kairos is developing advanced nuclear reactors as demand for electricity from AI data centres continues to grow. Google signed an agreement with the company in 2024 to support the development of nuclear power capacity for its operations. Explore AI Tools The startup is currently building two reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Hermes 1 is a low-power demonstration reactor designed to help refine Kairos' technology. At the same time, Hermes 2 is planned as the company's first commercial-scale reactor and will provide the first 50 megawatts of power under the Google agreement. Advanced reactor technology. Kairos received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2024 to build the reactors. Hermes 2 will use a fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor design, which uses liquid fluoride salts to transfer heat while operating at lower pressure levels. The company is also using TRISO fuel, which places uranium fuel particles inside layers of ceramic and carbon designed to improve safety performance. Kairos aims to begin operating Hermes 2 by 2030. The company will need to accelerate future reactor development to meet the broader goals of its agreement with Google.

AndroGuider

Sep 22nd, 2026

Samsung backs Kairos Power with $100M to build nuclear reactor for Google.

Samsung backs Kairos Power with $100M to build nuclear reactor for Google. Tl;dr. * Samsung C&T will invest up to $100M in Kairos Power and serve as construction partner for its first 50-megawatt commercial advanced reactor for Google in Tennessee. * The plant will use Kairos Power's fluoride salt-cooled, TRISO-fueled KP-FHR technology, with construction lessons from the Hermes demonstration reactors in Oak Ridge and a target to deliver power to Google by 2030. * The deal highlights Big Tech's accelerating bet on firm nuclear power to meet soaring AI data center demand and 24/7 carbon-free energy goals. Samsung gets into the reactor business. In another sign that the future of AI will be powered by nuclear, Samsung C&T has agreed to back U.S. advanced nuclear startup Kairos Power with up to $100 million to build its first commercial-scale plant for Google. The agreement, announced this week, pairs one of the world's most experienced nuclear builders with one of Silicon Valley's most aggressive nuclear buyers. Samsung C&T, the engineering and construction arm of the Samsung Group that co-built the Barakah nuclear plant in the United Arab Emirates, will take an equity stake in Kairos Power and act as a key construction and project delivery partner. For Kairos, a Alameda, California-based startup founded in 2016, it is both a major funding boost and a validation of its rapid-build strategy. For Samsung, it is a foothold in the booming U.S. advanced reactor market. The deal structure. Under the terms, Samsung C&T will invest up to $100 million in Kairos Power through a staged equity investment tied to project milestones. The funding will go directly toward development and construction of Kairos Power's first 50-megawatt electric commercial plant, known as Hermes 2-adjacent commercial deployment, planned for Tennessee to serve Google under a long-term power purchase agreement. More important than the cash, executives say, is the construction partnership. Samsung C&T America and Samsung C&T's Engineering & Construction Group will work with Kairos Power and its engineering partner Barnard Construction on project execution, modular construction, schedule optimization, and supply chain development. Kairos Power has deliberately pursued a hardware-iterative approach - build fast, learn fast - rather than going straight to a giant gigawatt-scale plant. Samsung brings deep experience in delivering large nuclear projects on time and on budget, including four APR-1400 reactors at Barakah, the first nuclear plant in the Arab world. Google, which is not a direct party to the Samsung investment, has already committed to buying the power. In October 2024, Google signed a landmark corporate power purchase agreement with Kairos Power to deploy 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity in the U.S. by 2035, with the first 50-megawatt reactor targeted for 2030. Inside the technology: not your grandfather's reactor. Unlike conventional light-water reactors, Kairos Power's KP-FHR technology is a fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor. Here's what makes it different: Instead of water as a coolant, it uses chemically stable molten fluoride salt at low pressure. That eliminates the risk of high-pressure steam explosions and allows for a more compact, simpler containment design. The salt also retains fission products, adding an extra safety barrier. Instead of traditional fuel rods, it uses TRISO tristructural isotropic particle fuel - billiard-ball-sized graphite pebbles packed with thousands of uranium kernels coated in carbon and ceramic layers. TRISO is widely considered one of the most robust nuclear fuels ever made, capable of withstanding temperatures above 1,600 degrees Celsius without melting. The design operates at near-atmospheric pressure and passively sheds decay heat, meaning it can cool itself without operator action or backup power. The first 50-megawatt plant for Google will essentially be a scaled-up commercial version of the company's Hermes demonstration reactors now under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Hermes, a 35-megawatt thermal non-power test reactor, received the first-ever construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a Generation IV reactor and began major construction in 2024. Its successor, Hermes 2, will include two units and demonstrate electricity production. Construction timeline: Tennessee first. Kairos Power and Samsung C&T will focus first on Oak Ridge and the broader Tennessee Valley. Current timeline shared by the companies: 2024-2026: Construction of Hermes low-power demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, with initial criticality targeted in the next year. 2026-2028: Construction of Hermes 2 demonstration plant, already approved by the NRC, to prove commercial-scale heat and power systems. 2027-2030: Construction of the first 50-megawatt commercial KP-FHR for Google, leveraging lessons learned and a modular supply chain co-developed with Samsung. Site selection is focused in Tennessee in coordination with the Tennessee Valley Authority. 2030-2035: Scale-up to multiple 75-megawatt KP-FHR units to fulfill Google's full 500-megawatt commitment, with Kairos Power targeting a fleet of standardized, factory-built reactors rather than one-off megaprojects. The iterative timeline is key to Kairos Power's pitch: by building three reactors in quick succession before 2030, it can de-risk cost, licensing, and construction - the three factors that have killed most U.S. nuclear projects in the past. Why Big Tech is going all-in on nuclear. Google is not alone. The Samsung-Kairos deal is the latest in a frenzied wave of Big Tech nuclear investments driven by AI. U.S. data center electricity demand is projected to more than double by 2030, driven almost entirely by AI training and inference workloads. A single large AI data center campus can consume 100 to 500 megawatts - roughly the output of a small nuclear plant - and requires 24/7 uptime that solar and wind alone cannot provide without massive storage. Google has pledged to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, a goal it has fallen behind on as AI growth pushed its emissions up nearly 50% since 2019. Firm, always-on nuclear power is now central to closing that gap. Its rivals are making similar moves. Microsoft has signed a deal to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor with Constellation and is backing fusion and fission startups. Amazon has invested in X-energy and Energy Northwest for up to 960 megawatts of small modular reactors in Washington state. Meta has issued requests for proposals for up to 4 gigawatts of nuclear capacity and signed deals with Oklo and Vistra. For Big Tech, advanced reactors like Kairos Power's offer three advantages over traditional nuclear: smaller size that matches data center scale, siting flexibility away from water-intensive cooling needs, and faster deployment timelines that align with AI buildout cycles. What comes next. The Samsung investment still leaves Kairos Power with significant capital needs to reach commercialization. The company has already raised more than $1 billion from investors including Temasek, BlackRock, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which awarded it up to $303 million in risk-reduction funding. Analysts say the real test will be execution: delivering Hermes on schedule, proving out the molten salt supply chain - including a new beryllium fluoride salt production facility in Ohio - and navigating NRC licensing for a commercial power reactor. But with Google as a guaranteed buyer, Samsung as a builder, and the DOE as a backer, Kairos Power now has something few advanced nuclear startups have ever had: a full path from demonstration to deployment. If the Tennessee plant plugs into the grid by 2030 as planned, it would be one of the first Generation IV commercial reactors operating in the U.S. - and a blueprint for how AI giants plan to power the next decade. AndroGuider Team Articles written by the AndroGuider team. Androguider try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.

Kairos Power

Buyer 3

About the job

About the company

Get referred to Kairos Power

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

What critics are saying

What makes Kairos Power unique

Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth