Operations Engineer

Kairospower; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Kairos Power is seeking an Operations Engineer to integrate the conditions required to support efficient execution of reactor builds. The role owns the integrated master execution schedule and administers the Last Planner process, leveraging AI-enabled tools to improve visibility, schedule quality, and decision speed.

The engineer will align people, parts, plant, planning, engineering readiness, quality, tooling, and constraints to drive near-term execution and continuous improvement for future

Qualifications

• Strong quantitative, analytical, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with AI-enabled tools, or demonstrated ability to learn and apply new digital tools effectively.
• Experience with Last Planner System or lean construction/production methods is strongly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the integrated master execution schedule for reactor build and related operational activities.
• Administer the Last Planner process and translate long-range milestones into near-term executable work.
• Coordinate personnel availability, material status, plant readiness, work-package maturity, engineering completion, quality requirements, tooling, and prerequisites.
• Identify constraints before they disrupt field work and coordinate timely resolution with owners.
• Maintain clear views of executable work, readiness, and work at risk.
• Analyze sequencing and reduce latency, handoff delays, conflicts, and congestion.
• Collaborate with Build Engineers, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Construction, Test and Activation teams.

Skills

Quantitative skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

AI tools familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree (Industrial/Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering, Construction Management, OR Systems/Operations Research)

Job description

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world's transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people's quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking an Operations Engineer to integrate the conditions required to support efficient execution of reactor builds. Where Build Engineers make individual work packages executable, the Operations Engineer supports execution of overall build by aligning people, parts, plant, planning, engineering readiness, quality, tooling, and constraints. The role owns the integrated master execution schedule and administers the Last Planner process while using AI-enabled tools to improve constraint visibility, schedule quality, and decision speed. The near-term plan may be developed on a physical Last Planner board, with the Operations Engineer capturing commitments, constraints, and variance data to improve the baseline planning approach for the next build.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the integrated master execution schedule for assigned reactor build, integration, Test and Activation, fueling, and related operational activities.
• Administer the Last Planner process and translate long-range milestones into credible near-term executable work.
• Integrate personnel availability, material/part status, plant/facility readiness, work-package maturity, engineering completion, quality requirements, tooling, and prerequisite activities.
• Identify constraints before they disrupt field work and coordinate timely resolution with responsible owners.
• Maintain clear views of work that is executable now, work approaching readiness, and work at risk.
• Analyze sequencing alternatives and reduce avoidable latency, handoff delays, resource conflicts, and work-front congestion.
• Coordinate closely with Build Engineers, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Construction, Test and Activation teams, and leadership.
• Use AI-enabled tools to synthesize status across enterprise systems, identify emerging conflicts, evaluate scenarios, and automate routine reporting.
• Develop or tailor lightweight planning and visualization tools within approved guardrails when existing tools do not adequately support execution and planning needs.
• Capture and apply lessons from schedule performance and constraint resolution to improve future reactor planning.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Construction Management, Operations Research, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
• Typically 3+ years of experience in complex project execution, production planning, construction planning, manufacturing operations, commissioning, or integrated scheduling; candidates with less experience may be considered based on strong demonstrated capability.
• Experience integrating schedules with material, labor, engineering, quality, and physical-work constraints.
• Working knowledge of critical path, look-ahead planning, constraint management, and production control.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with AI-enabled tools, or demonstrated ability to learn and apply new digital tools effectively.
• Experience with Last Planner System or lean construction/production methods is strongly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to identify and evaluation dependencies across functions, systems, and organizational boundaries.
• Ability to prioritize executable, decision-useful, plans and schedules based on current readiness and constraints.
• Ability to facilitate cross-functional planning discussions, establish clear commitments, and follow through on assigned actions.
• Ability to identify and prioritize constraints that materially affect execution and schedule progress.
• Ability to make or support timely planning decisions using incomplete information and clearly communicate assumptions and uncertainty.
• Ability to evaluate reported status critically and constructively address unsupported assumptions of schedule risks.
• Ability to use performance data and lessons learned to improve planning processes, tools, and future execution.

Physical Demands

• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment.
• Prototyping/Test Facilities.
• Manufacturing/Industrial Environments.
• Radiological/Controlled Environments.

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Reporting