Sr. Director of Corporate Development Santa Clara or Remote

Oklo; California (MO); Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Sr. Director of Corporate Development to lead strategic partnerships and M&A efforts. This pivotal role involves driving the full lifecycle of corporate development activities, from opportunity identification to deal execution, while collaborating closely with executive leadership. The ideal candidate will possess a strategic mindset, exceptional analytical skills, and a passion for clean energy. Join a dynamic team where creativity and independent thinking are valued, and make a significant impact in advancing clean power technology. If you thrive in fast-paced environments and are excited about shaping the future of energy, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits

Flexible time off

Equity

Competitive pay

401k

Health insurance

Flexible work hours

Qualifications

• 10+ years in corporate development or related fields.
• Strong financial modeling and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end deal execution and negotiations.
• Develop data-driven business cases for executive review.
• Oversee go-to-market strategies across business units.

Skills

Strategic mindset

Analytical skills

Executive presence

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Financial modeling

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

As Sr. Director of Corporate Development, you will own strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures, and other meaningful external engagements that support Oklo’s mission and company goals.

In this highly visible role, you will lead the full lifecycle of corporate development activities, from opportunity identification and strategic assessment to financial modeling, due diligence, negotiation, and deal execution. You will serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to Oklo’s executive leadership, collaborating closely with the CEO, C-suite, and cross-functional teams across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end deal execution, serving as relationship owner, lead negotiator, and external representative in senior-level partnerships.
• Collaborate with executives and cross-functional teams to solve complex, high-impact strategic challenges—often in uncharted territory—using first-principles thinking.
• Develop clear, data-driven business cases and recommendations for executive and Board-level review.
• Evaluate acquisitions, investments, and partnerships through rigorous qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Drive diligence, deal documentation, integration planning, and execution.
• Own post-close integration strategy and delivery.
• Oversee and align go-to-market strategies across multiple business units.
• Operate independently, applying sound judgment, creativity, and strategic insight to novel situations.

Qualifications

• Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to distill complex data into actionable insights and value-driven strategies.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills; comfortable leading C-level negotiations and external partnerships.
• Proven ability to build and manage senior relationships across financial, commercial, and government sectors.
• 10+ years of experience across corporate development, strategic partnerships, consulting, investment banking, or related fields, including 3+ years in an in-house corporate development or strategy role.
• Exceptional financial modeling, research, and analytical skills, with a knack for turning insights into recommendations.
• Passion for market trends, innovation, and competitive dynamics.
• Highly self-directed, with a track record of independently owning and delivering complex, cross-functional projects.

Key characteristics for an Oklo team member:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly-iterative startup environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before

Location

Oklo is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Candidates based near Santa Clara, CA are preferred, but other locations may be considered for experienced applicants. Some travel is required for this position.

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us!

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a lack of work-life balance or an unsustainable hustle culture either. It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality.

Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience with the opportunity for performance incentives.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) is a fast fission clean power technology and nuclear fuel recycling company developing fast fission power plants to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale. Oklo received a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, submitted the first advanced fission custom combined license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.