Sr. Manager, Direct Procurement (Hardware)

Oklo; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Equity

Health insurance with employer contribution

401(k)

Wellness credits

Job summary

Oklo in Santa Clara, CA is looking for a Sr. Manager, Direct Procurement (Hardware) to drive sourcing and procurement strategies for complex hardware systems essential to their products. The role commands a leadership position over a growing procurement team and focuses on building strategic supplier relationships while ensuring suppliers meet pertinent standards.

The ideal candidate will have extensive procurement experience, a degree in a relevant field, and the capability to negotiate complex commercial agreements effectively. This role offers flexible time off, competitive pay, and other benefits.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain.
• Experience sourcing complex hardware and leading procurement teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of procurement professionals.
• Develop procurement strategies for complex hardware systems.
• Manage supplier relationships to meet cost and quality objectives.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Procurement strategies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or Operations

Job description

Santa Clara, CA or Remote

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Sr. Manager, Direct Procurement (Hardware) to join our Procurement & Supply Chain organization.

Position Description

The Sr. Manager, Direct Procurement (Hardware) is responsible for developing and executing sourcing, supplier management, and procurement strategies for hardware systems critical to Oklo’s products and programs. This role leads procurement activities for complex components, assemblies, equipment, manufacturing systems, and integrated hardware solutions supporting Aurora powerhouses, fuel recycling systems, fuel fabrication capabilities, and future Oklo technologies.

This role is responsible for leading a growing team of procurement professionals, developing strategic supplier relationships, negotiating complex commercial agreements, and ensuring suppliers can meet Oklo’s cost, quality, schedule, and capacity requirements. The Senior Manager partners closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Legal, and Program Management to support the successful development and deployment of Oklo’s products.

This role focuses on procurement of Oklo-designed hardware systems and equipment and is distinct from procurement activities related to EPC, construction, and professional services.

Specific Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a growing team of procurement professionals responsible for direct hardware sourcing and supplier management
• Develop and execute procurement strategies for complex hardware systems, equipment, components, and assemblies
• Support procurement activities across Aurora powerhouses, fuel recycling systems, fuel fabrication capabilities, and future Oklo technologies
• Establish and manage competitive sourcing processes, including RFQs, RFPs, supplier evaluations, and supplier selection activities
• Lead commercial negotiations for strategic supplier agreements and long‑term supply partnerships
• Develop and manage supplier relationships to support quality, delivery, capacity, and cost objectives
• Partner closely with Engineering teams to align sourcing strategies with product requirements, technical specifications, and development schedules
• Develop supplier qualification, segmentation, and performance management processes
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks associated with critical hardware, long‑lead equipment, and sole‑source suppliers
• Support cost reduction initiatives, supplier cost analysis, and value engineering efforts
• Monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Be involved in development of scalable procurement systems, processes, and tools that support organizational growth
• Maintain awareness of manufacturing capabilities, supplier markets, and industry trends relevant to Oklo’s products and supply chain

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, manufacturing, or related functions
• Experience sourcing complex hardware, equipment, manufacturing systems, or highly engineered products
• Experience leading and developing procurement, sourcing, or supply chain teams
• Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements and supplier contracts
• Experience working cross‑functionally with engineering and technical organizations
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and supplier operations
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage strategic supplier relationships
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, specifications, and procurement requirements

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in nuclear, aerospace, defense, energy, industrial equipment, semiconductor, or other highly regulated industries
• Familiarity with ASME, NQA‑1, or other regulated quality environments
• Experience supporting new product introduction, first‑of‑a‑kind systems, and production scale‑up activities
• Experience with supplier cost analysis, should‑cost modeling, capacity planning, and long‑lead equipment procurement
• Experience building procurement processes within a high‑growth hardware organization

We are looking for a Sr. Manager, Direct Procurement (Hardware Systems) that is:

• Experienced in sourcing and managing suppliers for complex hardware, equipment, and manufacturing systems
• Skilled at developing procurement strategies that balance cost, quality, schedule, and risk
• Effective at negotiating commercial agreements and building long‑term supplier partnerships
• Comfortable working closely with technical teams and understanding complex engineering requirements
• Capable of leading and developing high‑performing procurement professionals
• Strong in supplier relationship management, supplier performance management, and strategic sourcing
• An optimist at heart
• 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
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 and invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement.
• Detail‑oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality.

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off‑sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

About Oklo Inc.

Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

Oklo’s Values

• Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
• Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
• Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
• Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.