Nuclear Facility Startup & Operational Readiness Director

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC; Hopkins (SC); On-site; USD 144,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Wellness programs

401(k) with company match

Paid vacations and holidays

Flexible work arrangements

Educational reimbursement

Career programs

Global recognition

Employee referral program

Job summary

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is seeking a Director of Operational Readiness in Columbia, SC to lead the transition of a new nuclear fuel fabrication facility from construction to safe, compliant operation. You will align site operations, project leadership, and corporate functions for startup readiness and regulatory compliance.

You will drive governance, staffing, and program implementation across safety, quality, and operations, reporting to senior site leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operational readiness, manufacturing operations, startup programs, regulatory compliance, or related functions.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in highly regulated industries such as nuclear, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, power generation, or similar environments.
• Experience supporting major capital projects, facility commissioning, startup activities, or large-scale operational transformations.
• Expertise in strategic planning, risk management, workforce readiness, and operational program implementation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the site's Operational Readiness Plan, including milestones, readiness criteria, governance processes, and performance metrics.
• Direct readiness assessments, management reviews, risk evaluations, and startup decision recommendations.
• Be the primary operational liaison with project leadership during commissioning, system turnover, startup planning, and operational acceptance.
• Lead the structured transition of facility ownership from project execution to operations.
• Ensure readiness activities support NRC requirements, license conditions, quality commitments, environmental regulations, and customer obligations.
• Lead preparation for inspections, audits, readiness reviews, and startup authorization activities.
• Champion a strong nuclear safety culture emphasizing operational discipline, procedural compliance, human performance, and conservative decision-making.
• Define organizational structure, staffing strategies, leadership accountability, and workforce readiness requirements.
• Partner with HR and functional leaders to execute hiring, onboarding, training, and qualification programs.
• Oversee implementation of key operational programs, including Conduct of Operations, Maintenance, Quality Assurance, Emergency Preparedness, Configuration Management, Security, and Corrective Action Programs.
• Establish readiness risk management processes, gap closure plans, and performance indicators.
• Escalate issues that could impact startup, safety, compliance, quality, or operational performance.
• Lead a cross-functional readiness organization while driving alignment across operations, engineering, quality, licensing, EHS, supply chain, HR, and corporate functions.
• Provide executive-level reporting and recommendations to site and company leadership.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical field

Advanced degree (preferred)

Job description

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is seeking a Director of Operational Readiness in Columbia, SC to lead the transition of a new nuclear fuel fabrication facility from construction to safe, compliant operation. You will align site operations, project leadership, and corporate functions for startup readiness and regulatory compliance.

You will drive governance, staffing, and program implementation across safety, quality, and operations, reporting to senior site leadership.