Siting and Geotechnical Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo!  We are searching for a siting and geotechnical engineer with familiarity with seismic, geologic, and hydrologic site characterization to join our team. 

Position Description

A siting and geotechnical engineer at Oklo is responsible for providing expertise, review, assessment, strategy, and contractor management for plant siting projects as well as supporting licensing and deployment planning for Oklo nuclear facilities.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Coordinate with external geotechnical and seismic design consultants and contractors to ensure timely and quality deliverables.

• Define scopes of work, review technical proposals, and oversee execution of geotechnical site investigations and documentation of deliverables.

• Develop, maintain, and manage project timelines and milestones related to geotechnical site characterization and related compliance activities.

• Ensure integration of geotechnical considerations into broader project planning and decision-making processes.

• Identify and mitigate safety challenges posed by the site early in project development.

• Track changes in State and Federal laws and regulations and assess their impact on project development and compliance strategy.

• Represent site safety interests in cross-functional planning and strategic meetings.

• Oversee internal site safety project management systems and reporting protocols.

• Prepare executive-level summaries and briefings for senior leadership.

• Collaborate with our operations team and engineering, procurement, and construction contractor on site preparations.

• Document work using modern tools and techniques and write well-written, thoughtful, technical reports.

• Siting and geotechnical investigation recommendations, assessment, and management of related contractors.

• Develop site investigations and site preparations strategies that meet building code requirements and result in cost minimization.

Competencies

We are looking for a siting and geotechnical engineer who is:

• Passionate about clean energy 

• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality

• Willing and able to learn quickly

• Familiar with industry codes and standards such as IBC and ASCE

• Eager to work on a dynamic team, receive constructive feedback, and grow with us

• 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 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. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

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 fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! 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. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in geology, geotechnical, or environmental engineering

• Experience in siting and geotechnical investigation, earthworks projects in different soil types, and seismic related assessment and analyses

• Experience with building construction methods, building systems, and cost implications

About Oklo compensation:

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

Salary: $70,000-$160,000

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.