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Kairos Power

Develops fluoride-salt cooled high-temperature reactor

EHS Manager

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
No salary listed
Senior
Bachelor's
Albuquerque, NM, USA
In PersonOnsite in Albuquerque; travel may be required up to 10%.
Facilities OperationsEnvironmental Health & Safety

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Occupational Health and Safety, or a related field.
  • At least 5 years of experience managing EHS programs focused on safety management, regulatory compliance, risk management, and program development.
  • At least 5 years of direct management experience.
  • Expertise in a discipline within EHS.
  • A proven track record of working with others to accomplish objectives.
  • A proven track record of developing a strong safety culture and reducing recordable incident rates.
  • In-depth understanding of local, state, and federal environmental, health, and safety regulations applicable to the industry.
  • Knowledge of recognized hazard-identification, risk-assessment, and control methodologies, including Job Hazard Analysis and the hierarchy of controls.
  • Knowledge of incident-investigation and root-cause-analysis principles and corrective-action practices.
  • Ability to develop, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve EHS programs, procedures, and management systems.
  • Ability to assess complex or changing work processes and recommend practical, risk-based EHS controls.
  • Ability to interpret regulatory requirements and communicate their operational implications to employees and management.
  • Ability to analyze EHS data and performance metrics, identify trends, and develop appropriate improvement strategies.
  • Ability to lead, coach, and develop EHS professionals and establish clear priorities and accountability.
  • Ability to build collaborative working relationships across operational, technical, research, maintenance, construction, and management functions.
  • Ability to influence decisions and promote safe work practices without relying solely on direct authority.
  • Ability to communicate technical EHS information clearly through written procedures, reports, presentations, training, and employee engagement.
  • Ability to manage multiple EHS priorities in a dynamic research and development and operational environment while applying sound judgment to risk-based decisions.
  • Ability to lead or support emergency preparedness and response activities within the scope of assigned training and responsibilities.
  • Ability to engage employees at all organizational levels and encourage reporting, participation, and continuous improvement in EHS programs.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  • Capability to conduct thorough incident investigations and risk assessments.
  • Strong knowledge of EHS regulations, codes, and standards.
  • Ability to prioritize and ensure the safety of oneself and others.
  • Ability to proactively collect, manage, and transfer knowledge.
  • Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges, and issues.
  • Ability to work in a general office environment, low and high temperatures, outdoors in precipitation and wind, noisy environments, small or enclosed spaces, around chemical odors or fumes, and at elevated heights.
  • Ability to manipulate, clean, and dispose of hazardous materials; report equipment issues or unsafe conditions; wear appropriate personal protective equipment; and handle beryllium-containing material.
  • The position may require travel up to 10%.
  • The position seldom requires weekend work, non-standard work-week hours, or extended hours to support launches and critical project timelines, and occasionally requires schedule flexibility.
  • Access to Department of Energy Part 810-controlled information requires Department of Energy authorization. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries not on the general authorization list may not work in the facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license.
Responsibilities
  • Lead a diverse team of EHS professionals and provide mentorship and growth opportunities.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain environmental, health, and safety programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
  • Partner with operations, maintenance, laboratory, construction, and research staff to identify and mitigate hazards so work is done safely.
  • Drive the Job Hazard Analysis process to improve the safety of operations.
  • Develop and implement plans to reduce incident rates and improve EHS performance.
  • Implement emergency response plans for incidents and ensure employees are trained accordingly.
  • Develop, review, and conduct EHS-related training, including safety orientation during new-hire orientation meetings.
  • Promote environmental responsibility and encourage sustainable practices throughout the organization.
  • Stay current with environmental, health, and safety regulations, inspections, and standards and ensure the organization's adherence to applicable laws.
  • Prepare, maintain, and submit required regulatory reports, permits, and documentation.
  • Conduct workplace inspections and audits to monitor compliance and identify areas for improvement.
  • Oversee the hazardous materials program, including inventory, disposal, recycling, and handling.
  • Partner with vendors and manage relationships to support the environmental, health, and safety of the facility.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, management, and external agencies to align on safety goals.
  • Provide opportunities for direct and honest communication, including leading safety committee meetings, toolbox talks, lunch-and-learns, and safety moments.
  • Engage regularly with employees and operational areas to understand workflows and operational processes, identify emerging risks, and support EHS solutions.
  • Investigate incidents and accidents, determine root causes, and implement corrective and preventive measures.
  • Maintain incident records and report findings to upper management and regulatory authorities as required through the First Report of Incident process.
  • Collect, analyze, and report data related to safety performance.
  • Identify trends and opportunities for improvement based on data analysis.
  • Drive results through the Objectives and Key Results process while leveraging partnerships with key contributors.
  • Serve as a first responder and member of the Emergency Response Team.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • Ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts, and similar equipment; set up and transfer temporary structures; move into different positions and confined spaces; remain stationary for prolonged periods; move between worksites; and handle objects weighing up to 35 pounds in all directions.
Desired Qualifications
  • A relevant EHS professional certification, such as Certified Safety Professional, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, or another relevant credential.
  • Experience supporting EHS activities across multiple operating environments, such as research and development, laboratories, manufacturing, construction, and facility operations.

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

Grant

Total Funding

$643M

Headquarters

Alameda, California

Founded

2016

Get referred to Kairos Power

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Simplify Jobs

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

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

1%
Oak Ridge Today
Oct 19th, 2026
Oak Ridge hosts Nuclear Science Week 2026 events.

Oak Ridge hosts Nuclear Science Week 2026 events. Free admission to AMSE Saturday; other activities this week. The Oak Ridger Updated Oct. 19, 2026, 2:56 p.m. ET The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) and the Oak Ridge Discovery Foundation invite the community to celebrate Nuclear Science Week 2026, Oct. 19-24. The week covers the science, careers and future of nuclear energy in the birthplace of the Manhattan Project and home of the nation's largest national laboratory. Nuclear Science Week 2026 is presented by Kairos Power, according to an AMSE news release.

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 Law
Oct 14th, 2026
Nuclear Startup Kairos Raises $643 Million for Tennessee Project

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.

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.