Full-Time
Director of Development Engineering
Oklo
201-500 employees
Designs and deploys advanced fission reactors
Compensation Overview
$225k - $275k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Remote in USA + 1 more
More locations: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Hybrid
Remote employees must travel to Santa Clara headquarters twice per quarter. The first two weeks of onboarding are in person at headquarters.
 Engineering Management (1) |
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- At least 12 years of experience in energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, or data center project development engineering, including at least 5 years in a leadership role.
- A strong civil/site engineering background.
- Experience producing engineering deliverables for project financing and engineering, procurement, and construction handoff.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for communicating technical content and results.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment.
- Ability to propose creative solutions to technical problems and solve open-ended problems independently.
- U.S. person status may be required for access to information subject to U.S. export control laws.
- Lead development engineering across all active sites, including site layout, civil/grading design, geotechnical investigation, hydrology, and infrastructure planning.
- Perform solutions engineering for potential co-located buildings such as advanced manufacturing facilities and data centers.
- Produce basis-of-design documentation sufficient for project finance due diligence and engineering, procurement, and construction handoff.
- Manage third-party engineering consultants and coordinate with the internal nuclear design team.
- Provide engineering inputs to Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing and National Environmental Policy Act processes in coordination with the Environmental & Permitting team.
- Develop and maintain engineering standards, templates, and quality protocols for the Development organization.
- Partner with the New Product Integration team to translate reactor design requirements, siting criteria, and product evolution into site-specific technical constraints and development scope.
- Develop and own site constraints packages for each Aurora powerhouse development site, synthesizing geotechnical, hydrological, environmental, grid, and regulatory inputs into an authoritative technical baseline.
- Integrate and quality-control deliverables from civil, geotechnical, environmental, and nuclear engineering consultants, ensuring third-party work products are consistent, current, and accurately reflected in the site constraints package and project schedule.
- Own the development engineering schedule and provide cross-functional technical leadership to identify, prioritize, and mitigate technical risks and fatal flaws on project sites.
- Coordinate with Project Development, Transmission & Interconnection, and Environmental & Permitting teams to surface issues early and preserve development optionality.
- Lead structured technical risk reviews at each stage gate, evaluate site constraints packages against go/no-go criteria, and escalate unresolved fatal flaw risks to the Vice President of Development with options analysis and recommended disposition.
- Build and manage a team of engineers across civil/site, electrical, and nuclear development disciplines.
- Provide engineering support for isotope production facilities, including facility layout, utility infrastructure design, and integration with co-located Aurora powerhouse systems.
- Lead development engineering for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, coordinating multi-use site design across power generation, isotope production, and research facility components.
- Professional Engineer license is strongly preferred.
- Nuclear project experience is highly valued.
- Experience with Department of Energy- or Nuclear Regulatory Commission-regulated facilities is a significant advantage.
Oklo designs and deploys advanced fission power plants, led by the Aurora reactor that can produce up to 15 MW of electricity and run for 10 years or more without refueling. The reactor uses a new fission approach that provides inherent safety and can recycle nuclear waste as fuel, including on-site waste recycling. It differs from traditional reactors by focusing on long-life, modular deployments licensed for a range of customers, such as industrial facilities, remote communities, and even space missions. Its goal is to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy worldwide by expanding access to safe nuclear power and recycling nuclear waste as part of its energy solution.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, California
Founded
2013
Get referred to Oklo
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Groves achieved first criticality August 5, 2026, validating execution under DOE supervision.
- Oklo ended Q2 2026 with $3 billion cash and marketable securities.
- Genesis Mission funding with Argonne and Case Western strengthens fuel-recycling credibility.
What critics are saying
- PJM removed Oklo's 750 MW Virginia project August 3, 2026; FERC delay looms.
- Q2 2026 losses hit $81.6 million; operating cash burn rose to $150 million guidance.
- Insider selling from Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran signals skepticism if commercialization slips past 2028.
What makes Oklo unique
- Aurora uses EBR-II fast-reactor heritage; Oklo reached Groves criticality August 2026.
- DOE approved Aurora-INL PDSA on June 11, 2026, advancing federalized deployment.
- Oklo pairs power, isotopes, and fuel recycling, creating multiple revenue paths.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Flexible Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
Company Equity
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↓ -4%Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) asks FERC to reinstate advanced nuclear project after PJM drops it from interconnection cycle. Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission after grid operator PJM removed the company's advanced nuclear project from its interconnection study cycle. The dispute centers on Oklo's 750 MW mixed-technology generation project, designated "C01-1735," which combines advanced nuclear, natural gas, and fuel cell generation capacity. Oklo submitted its project data, signed agreement, and deposit information to PJM on April 27, 2026, for consideration in PJM's Cycle 01 interconnection queue. PJM subsequently identified deficiencies across six categories and directed Oklo to respond within ten business days or face removal from the study cycle. The six areas of concern identified by PJM were transformer information, generator information, project capability, point of interconnection, site control, and short circuit data. PJM's decision to withdraw the project from Cycle 01 carries significant consequences, with the company warning the move would result in a project delay of at least fourteen months. Oklo filed its complaint under FERC Docket No. EL26-101 on August 28, 2026, asking the regulator to direct PJM to reinstate the project in the current study cycle. The company also requested that FERC grant a waiver of certain tariff provisions to minimize disruption to Cycle 01 participants and preserve the project's timeline. Pre-construction work and site characterization activities are scheduled to begin in 2026, with the first phase of the project targeted to come online as early as 2030. Oklo has outlined plans to expand the facility incrementally, with the full build-out targeting a capacity of 1.2 GW by 2034, positioning it as a significant long-term power source. The project is located in Ohio, which sits within PJM's footprint, one of the largest electricity grid systems in the United States, giving the site strategic value in the national clean energy transition. The outcome of Oklo's FERC complaint could set an important precedent for how advanced nuclear developers navigate interconnection processes as demand for carbon-free baseload power accelerates.
Oklo shares jumped over 12% on 25 August, reaching more than $44 per share. However, the small nuclear reactor company's stock is down more than 38% this year since going public through a SPAC in May 2025. The company has a market capitalisation of around $8 billion but generates no commercial energy income. Its first Small Modular Reactor, the Aurora Powerhouse, isn't expected to enter commercial operation for years. In the second quarter, Oklo reported a loss from operations of $124.2 million and a net loss of $81.6 million. The company has $1.6 billion in cash but $78.6 million in debt. Oklo's initial license application was denied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2022 due to gaps in safety baseline data.
Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) Aurora reactor draws on decades of proven fast reactor technology. Oklo Inc.'s (NYSE: OKLO) Aurora Powerhouse reactor is built on fast reactor technology that has accumulated more than 400 reactor-years of operating experience worldwide. Fast reactors use liquid metal such as sodium to carry away heat, giving the technology a substantial real-world track record before Aurora has even come online. One of the most significant precedents for the Aurora design is the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, known as EBR-II, which operated for approximately 30 years. EBR-II generated roughly 20 megawatts of electricity during its operational life, providing Oklo with a proven technical foundation on which to develop its commercial reactor concept. The EBR-II is particularly significant because it demonstrated how fast reactors can protect themselves during serious operational failures without human intervention. In safety tests conducted on EBR-II, operators intentionally shut off coolant pumps and disabled normal shutdown systems, yet the reactor naturally reduced its own power output and stabilized. Aurora uses similar self-protecting principles, meaning that if electricity or pumps fail, hot sodium continues moving naturally to remove heat without any external action required. As the Aurora reactor heats up, its metal fuel expands automatically, which slows the nuclear reaction and prevents dangerous overheating from occurring. Oklo is also applying direct lessons from EBR-II to its fuel strategy, with the company planning to use recycled EBR-II fuel in its first Aurora-INL reactor. Equipment for Oklo's fuel-fabrication facility is already being manufactured, and Aurora-INL has received a Department of Energy safety approval that allows final design and construction to proceed. Oklo currently targets the Aurora-INL reactor to begin operations sometime between late 2027 and early 2028, a timeline that hinges on continued regulatory and construction progress. Despite the technical momentum, Oklo shares have lost more than 38% so far this year, significantly underperforming the industry's marginal growth over the same period. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of 4, designated as Sell, reflecting cautious sentiment from the investment research firm's quantitative model. Oklo holds an average brokerage recommendation of 1.96 on a scale of 1 to 5, based on actual recommendations made by 23 brokerage firms covering the stock. In the small modular reactor space, NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) remains the only developer with Nuclear Regulatory Commission design certification, with critical-path component design substantially complete and supplier agreements covering more than half its network. NuScale is also advancing potential deployments with TVA through its ENTRA1 program and a six-module RoPower project located in Romania. NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE), meanwhile, is pursuing a different path entirely through its planned merger with Dominion Energy, which would give the combined company the second-largest nuclear fleet in the United States. NextEra Energy and Dominion expect that merger to close in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals from both companies. For Oklo, the central investment case rests on whether its technically grounded Aurora design can translate decades of experimental reactor heritage into a commercially viable and timely product. The gap between proven nuclear science and delivered commercial power remains the critical variable that investors and industry observers are watching most closely.
Texas Capital cuts price targets on Oklo (NYSE: OKLO), nuscale (NYSE: SMR) and nano nuclear (NASDAQ: NNE) but names its top pick. Texas Capital analyst Nate Pendleton revised price targets lower across three nuclear power stocks following their second-quarter earnings results, while maintaining Buy ratings on all three. Pendleton lowered his price target on Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) to $89 from $93, a level that still implies upside of more than 113% from the stock's last closing price. NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE: SMR) saw its price target cut more aggressively, dropping to $12 from $15, which implies approximately 32% upside from where shares last traded. Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) received a revised target of $39, down from $43, representing implied upside of nearly 114%, with Texas Capital retaining its Buy rating on the stock. Despite the broad-based reductions, Texas Capital named Oklo as its top pick within the nuclear power group, distinguishing it from the other two companies under coverage. The firm said all three companies have built strong balance sheets "to help de-risk execution, enhance vertical integration, and ultimately shift discussion from runway to capital allocation." Wall Street's broader consensus on OKLO reflects cautious optimism, with a 12-month average price target of $79.88 across 25 analysts, implying more than 91% upside from recent levels. Of those 25 analysts, 15 carry a Buy or higher rating on OKLO, nine rate it a Hold, and just one analyst has assigned a Strong Sell rating to the shares. SMR's consensus 12-month price target stands at $12.63, implying around 39% upside, with six of 18 analysts holding Buy or higher ratings and ten recommending a Hold. NNE carries the highest implied upside among the three based on consensus data, with an average 12-month target of $40.83 across seven analysts, five of whom rate the stock a Buy. On the earnings front, Oklo posted a Q2 loss per share of $0.28, wider than consensus expectations, though quarterly revenue of $1.21 million beat estimates as accelerated project execution drove performance. NuScale reported a Q2 loss per share of $0.13, in line with analyst estimates, but revenue collapsed to $75,000, down roughly 99.1% year over year from $8.05 million, reflecting a gap between project phases. Nano Nuclear posted a quarterly loss of $0.19 per share, narrower than consensus estimates, while revenue came in at approximately $210,000, falling short of Wall Street expectations. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits skewed bearish across all three stocks, with one user commenting "$OKLO $2 is fair value" and another writing "$SMR I can't think in what scenario this doesn't go down more." All three stocks have suffered significant year-to-date losses in 2026, with OKLO down more than 46%, SMR down more than 44%, and NNE shares lower by more than 33%.
NuScale Power, Oklo, and Centrus Energy shares fell sharply on Thursday, with drops of 5%, 5%, and 6% respectively, reflecting broader weakness across nuclear and uranium stocks. The selloff comes despite strong long-term nuclear prospects driven by growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centres. Nuclear stocks remain sensitive to interest-rate concerns, as advanced-reactor projects require substantial capital before generating revenue. NuScale's Q2 2026 results intensified pressure, reporting just $75,000 in revenue whilst announcing a $750 million share-sale programme. The stock has fallen 32% year-to-date. Oklo generated $1.2 million in Q2 revenue but posted a $48.5 million net loss. Centrus Energy, which already generates revenue from nuclear fuel services, reported $176.1 million in Q2 revenue, up 14% year-over-year. The Global X Uranium ETF fell 3%, indicating sector-wide weakness beyond individual developers.