Manager, Operations Programs (TPI) Strategy & Ops

Front Door Defense; Everett, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 149,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation

Short-term incentive payments

Medical and wellness benefits

Parental Leave

401k Plan

PTO 21 days

Holiday schedule

Relocation Assistance

Professional and Educational Support

Job summary

TerraPower Isotopes in Everett, Washington, seeks a Manager, Operations Programs to design and scale programs that support safe, high-performing operations across the Isotopes team. This role reports to the Director of Operations and focuses on governance, training, and measurable program outcomes.

You will lead development of scalable systems, hire and develop program leaders, and drive cross-functional initiatives essential to TerraPower Isotopes' growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, operations, or related field with 10+ years in operations or program management.
• 8+ years in nuclear or regulated environments under radiation protection programs.
• Ability to translate complex issues into executable programs and actions.
• Experience coaching and developing professional employees toward leadership roles.
• Strong organizational and program-management skills with cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own development, governance, and improvement of assigned TPI Operations programs.
• Establish scalable program frameworks, governance, and management processes.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives to resolve interfaces and priorities.
• Hire, coach, and develop Program Administrators and leaders.
• Build leadership pipeline and foster ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Program Management

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

People development

Education

Bachelor's in engineering or related field

Master's preferred

Tools

PMP Certification

Lean Six Sigma (plus)

Job description

Manager, Operations Programs (TPI)

Build scalable operations programs and leadership pipeline across the TerraPower Isotopes team

Location: Everett, Washington

Compensation: $148,722 - 193,146 USD / year

About The Role

Manager, Operations Programs

Everett, Washington, United States

The TerraPower Isotopes® (TPI™) division has been established to pursue medical isotopes development--advancing nuclear science for significant human health benefits. We seek to support revolutionary radiotherapies for treatments of various cancers through the supply of radioisotopes. TerraPower currently has unique access to a supply of thorium for the long-term production of actinium-225 in the growing alpha therapy market and intends to expand into other nuclear related medical treatments.

The TerraPower Isotopes program is an integral part of the Washington State based TerraPower team, a company working to raise living standards globally. In 2006, the company originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. TerraPower's mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field.

TPI is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced radiopharmaceutical applications and influencing change within nuclear medicine. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The TerraPower Isotopes (TPI) Manager, Operations Programs reports to the Director of Operations and is responsible for establishing, leading, and continuously improving the programs and management systems that support safe, reliable, and high-performing operations teams. This role will lead the development of scalable systems; hire, manage, and develop the program leaders responsible for those systems; and lead key cross-functional initiatives important to the growth of the larger TPI organization.

A central responsibility of this role is to build leadership capability within Operations as the organization grows. The Core Operations Program Manager will coach technically capable program leaders to progress from ownership of individual programs toward broader cross-functional leadership and, as organizational needs and individual capabilities develop, leadership of operational teams. The role will help establish a pipeline of future Operations leaders capable of assuming increasing responsibility as TPI scales.

Responsibilities:

• Own the development, governance, implementation, performance, and continuous improvement of assigned TPI Operations programs, including Training & Qualification, Documentation & Process Management, Operations Performance Improvement, and Compliance.
• Establish scalable program frameworks, standards, governance, and management processes that support reliable production, organizational growth, and increasing cGMP maturity.
• Establish measures of program effectiveness and ensure assigned programs are effectively implemented, sustained, evaluated, and improved as operational needs evolve.

Leadership & Development:

• Hire, manage, coach, and develop Program Administrators responsible for assigned Operations programs, establishing clear priorities, expectations, accountability, and appropriate decision-making authority.
• Coach and develop team members from strong individual program owners into broader organizational leaders through coaching, feedback, mentoring, delegation, and progressively challenging cross-functional and people-leadership assignments.
• Build a leadership pipeline capable of assuming increasing responsibility for programs, projects, and operational teams as TPI grows, while fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, technical rigor, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Technical Leadership:

• Lead selected complex, non-routine, and strategically important Operations initiatives from problem definition and planning through implementation and sustained execution.
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams to resolve technical and operational interfaces, dependencies, competing priorities, and assigned actions.
• Rapidly develop sufficient understanding of complex technical issues to ask effective questions, challenge assumptions, integrate subject-matter expertise, and translate technical and operational needs into executable programs and decisions.

Operations Strategy & Management:

• Partner with Operations leadership to establish program priorities aligned with production objectives, organizational growth, regulatory requirements, and business needs.
• Advise the Director of Operations on program performance, organizational and technical risks, resource requirements, emerging needs, and recommended priorities, and provide program information to other TPI leaders as required.
• Anticipate program and organizational needs as TPI grows and recommend improvements to systems, resources, responsibilities, and organizational capabilities.

Key Qualification and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, operations, or another technical or related field and 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in operations, engineering, technical program management, or a related environment. Master's degree in engineering, business administration, or a related technical or management field preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience working in the nuclear or other industry under an established radiation protection program and under a regulated framework.
• Demonstrated technical aptitude and intellectual curiosity, with the ability to rapidly understand complex scientific, engineering, and operational issues and effectively engage technical subject-matter experts.
• Demonstrated success managing, coaching, and developing professional employees, including developing high-potential individuals toward increasing levels of organizational, people, and operational leadership.
• Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to recognize individual strengths and development needs, delegate meaningful responsibility, provide candid feedback, establish accountability, and develop independent leaders rather than dependent followers.
• Exceptional organizational and program-management skills, with demonstrated ability to establish structure, priorities, accountability, and effective execution across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple technical disciplines, stakeholders, and competing priorities, including leadership through influence without direct authority.
• Experience building or scaling teams, program-management functions, operations organizations, or leadership capability in a growing or changing environment.
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or comparable program-management or process-improvement training or certification is a plus.
• Familiarity with artificial intelligence tools and their effective application to program management, information systems, or business processes is a plus.
• Military leadership or technical operations experience is a plus.
• Ability to work flexible hours as operational and business needs require.

The successful candidate will combine strong organizational and program-management capability with high technical aptitude, intellectual curiosity, and demonstrated people leadership. The individual must be able to rapidly understand complex scientific, engineering, and operational issues; ask effective questions of technical experts; establish structure where processes are still developing; and develop high-performing professionals through coaching, deliberate delegation, accountability, and progressively challenging leadership assignments.

Job Functions:

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

Salary Range: $148,722 - $193,146 Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Aff
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities