Senior Director, Nuclear Programs

Deep Fission is seeking a Director / Senior Director of Nuclear Program Development & Integration to serve as the senior organizational integrator responsible for building and aligning the corporate programs required for regulatory credibility and commercial deployment. As the company scales from early DOE-supported development toward NRC licensing and site-based operations, this role ensures that programs across engineering, quality assurance, procurement, construction, operations, safety, and compliance evolve together as a coherent system — not in isolation.

This is not a functional ownership role. It is a strategic integration role for someone who understands how nuclear organizations must be built programmatically — and who can identify structural gaps before they become regulatory or operational liabilities. The ideal candidate has lived the full lifecycle of a nuclear enterprise, brings deep familiarity with NQA-1 frameworks and NRC expectations, and is energized by the challenge of building foundational infrastructure in parallel with active project execution. If you are someone who sees an incomplete program structure not as a problem but as the job, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Program Development & Integration
  • Establish and maintain an integrated framework across all corporate programs — including engineering, QA, procurement, construction, operations, safety, and regulatory compliance — ensuring they develop as a coordinated system rather than independently.
  • Lead the identification, development, and maturation of the corporate programs required to support near-term project execution and long-term regulatory success.
  • Identify gaps in the company's programmatic structure and work with leadership to define ownership, prioritize development, and drive resolution.
  • Identify and engage appropriate internal subject matter experts and external industry resources to accelerate development of critical programs where internal capacity is limited.
  • Ensure interfaces between programs are clearly defined and functioning effectively across the organization.
  • Align project execution — including the Reactor Pilot Program (RPP) — with the corporate infrastructure required to support it.
• Regulatory & Licensing Alignment
  • Ensure company programs support DOE project execution while positioning the organization for future NRC licensing.
  • Maintain alignment between company programs and Deep Fission's risk-informed, performance-based regulatory strategy.
  • Ensure design, procurement, construction, and operational activities are supported by appropriate documentation, traceability, and configuration control.
• Cross-Functional Program Coordination
  • Serve as the integrator across all major corporate programs, including: Systems Engineering & Design Control, Quality Assurance & NQA-1 program structures, Procurement & Supply Chain, Configuration Management & Component Identification, Mechanical Engineering & Drawing Control, Construction / Wellbore / Drilling & Completion, Operations Readiness, Health & Safety, Document Control & Records Management, Regulatory Strategy & Licensing, and Legal & Compliance (including Export Controls).
  • Drive development of program documentation, processes, and implementation plans required to operationalize these programs across the organization.
  • Ensure all programs operate within a coherent framework and that interfaces are designed intentionally as the company grows.
• Organizational Governance
  • Provide senior-level oversight of program interfaces across the organization.
  • Ensure established processes are understood and followed across functions.
  • Facilitate resolution of cross-program conflicts and coordination challenges.
  • Identify situations where project execution may outpace supporting infrastructure and raise those risks proactively to leadership.
  • Prioritize development of foundational programs required for near-term project execution and regulatory credibility.

Required Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated experience within the nuclear industry and a deep understanding of the program structures required to support nuclear regulatory compliance and plant operations.
• Extensive experience with enterprise-level nuclear programs spanning engineering, QA, procurement, construction, and operations.
• Deep understanding of NQA-1 quality programs, design control, configuration management, and nuclear regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting nuclear licensing efforts or direct engagement with the NRC or DOE on regulatory matters.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across multiple technical and operational organizations simultaneously.
• Strong understanding of the programmatic interfaces required for nuclear organizations to function effectively within a regulated environment.
• S. citizenship required. Must be able to meet Export Control requirements under 10 CFR 810.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with advanced reactor companies or nuclear startups, with demonstrated ability to build programs in parallel with active project execution.
• Background in nuclear plant operations, licensing, or large-scale nuclear program management.
• Experience integrating programs across engineering, construction, and operational readiness — particularly in first-of-a-kind or pre-commercial environments.
• Familiarity with DOE project environments, including DOE Order 420.1C and 10 CFR 830, and NRC regulatory expectations for advanced reactor licensing.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing nuclear enterprise programs within operating plants, major nuclear projects, or advanced reactor organizations.

Key Competencies

• Systems Thinking – Understands how programs across a full nuclear enterprise must function together — and can identify structural gaps before they create operational or regulatory risk.
• Regulatory Fluency – Speaks the language of DOE and NRC, with the credibility to engage regulators directly and the judgment to align company programs with evolving licensing strategy.
• Strategic Integration – Functions as an integrator, not a functional owner — comfortable working across technical, operational, and compliance disciplines without needing to control each one.
• Builder's Mindset – Energized by building foundational infrastructure in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where the program structure must be created, not inherited.
• Execution Discipline – Balances startup agility with regulatory rigor — prioritizes the right programs at the right time and drives them to completion without losing sight of the larger framework.
• Risk Awareness – Proactively identifies situations where project execution may outpace programmatic infrastructure and raises those risks clearly and early.