Operations Engineer

Kairos Power; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation packages

Medical, dental & vision benefits for

Paid Vacation

401(k) and pre-tax health insurance

Job summary

Kairos Power, based in Oak Ridge, TN, seeks an Operations Engineer to align people, parts, plant, planning, and readiness for reactor builds. You will own the integrated master execution schedule, manage Last Planner, and use AI-enabled tools to improve constraint visibility, forecast performance, and decision speed.

The role emphasizes cross-functional coordination, schedule execution, and continuous improvement across engineering, quality, and operations teams to enable safe, timely delivery

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering field.
• 3+ years in complex project execution or scheduling.
• Experience with Last Planner or lean methods is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the integrated master execution schedule.
• Administer Last Planner and translate milestones to near-term work.
• Coordinate personnel, materials, and readiness across teams.
• Identify constraints before disruption and drive timely resolution.
• Use AI-enabled tools to synthesize status and improve reporting.
• Develop lightweight planning tools within guardrails.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

AI-enabled tools

Scheduling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Engineering)

Tools

Last Planner System

Job description

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 issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety footwear, or other PPE as required

Travel

• Some travel may be required

Certification

• None required

Additional Requirements

• Occasionally requires working weekends
• Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
• Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
• Paid Vacation
• 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810