Senior Operations Associate

About Radiant Radiant is an El Segundo, CA-based company building the world's only mass-produced, transportable nuclear microreactors. The U.S. grid is under growing strain, with power demand accelerating, driving higher utility costs, rising carbon emissions, and interconnection backlogs. Radiant has a solution, transportable, on-site power. Our first reactor, Kaleidos, is 1 megawatt: small enough to be factory-built, transported by land, sea, or air, and deployed wherever power is needed. 1 MW can power 1000 homes for five years. Ship it back and we refuel for a 20 year operating life. We made energy a product that can be used for critical infrastructure like military bases, data centers, hospitals, and remote sites, as well as the commercial main street businesses that keep America running. Founded in 2020, Radiant is under contract to deliver power to the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force and has signed pre-order agreements with Equinix, with deployments beginning in 2028.

About the Role Radiant is seeking a Senior Operations Associate to own operational projects from start to finish. You will be a generalist who can take a project from an initial idea to completion, including planning, staffing, budgeting, subcontractor management and execution. You will report to the Direction of Mission Success and also support Radiant's Head of Programs and Site Leads when needed. Examples of your work include planning and managing the removal of a reactor unit from a test facility at Idaho National Laboratory and managing Radiant’s participation in customer deployment exercises. The ideal candidate is self-directed and organized and is comfortable taking on a new kind of project with limited structure.

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Project Ownership: Own smaller operational projects end to end, from scoping and planning through execution and closeout.

• Planning & Staffing: Develop project plans and staffing plans, including identifying the people and skills each project needs.

• Budgeting: Create and manage formal project budgets and track spend against them.

• Subcontractor Management: Identify, hire and manage subcontractors, including scope definition, oversight and performance.

• Stakeholder Coordination: Coordinate with internal teams, customers and partner organizations to keep projects aligned and on schedule.

• Support to Programs & Sites: Support the Head of Programs and the Site Leads on operational work as needed.

• Reporting & Risk: Report project status, risks and issues to leadership and escalate early when a project is off track.

Deliverables:

• Project plans, staffing plans and budgets for each owned project.

• Subcontractor agreements and oversight for projects that use them.

• Completed projects delivered on schedule and within budget.

• Regular status and risk reporting to team leadership.

• Operational support delivered to the Head of Programs and Site Leads.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, project management or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 8+ years of experience managing projects or operations.

• Experience building project plans and managing budgets.

• Experience hiring and managing subcontractors or vendors.

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Comfort with ambiguity and changing priorities in a growing organization.

Desired Qualifications & Skills:

• Experience in nuclear, energy or other regulated industries.

• Experience working with DOE, DoD or national laboratory sites.

• Experience planning or supporting military exercises or customer demonstrations.

• Familiarity with site safety and permitting requirements.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to accomplish our mission.

• Must be willing to travel up to 20% of total weeks in the year; most travel will be consolidated around reactor delivery and testing

• Must work onsite at El Segundo HQ whenever not traveling.

Benefits and Perks

• Stock: Substantial incentive stock plan for all full-time employees.

• Medical: 100% up to base silver level plan for employee + 50% dependents, offers up to Platinum plans.

• One Medical: Sponsored memberships for employees and their dependents.

• Vision: 100% top tier plan coverage + 50% for dependents.

• Dental: 100% top tier plan coverage, orthodontia extra, 50% for dependents.

• Voluntary life, accident, hospital, critical illness, commuter and FSA/HSA are offered as employee contributed benefits.

• 8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees.

• Nuclear Engineering Certificate Program: 100% covered educational program with Penn State University, for eligible employees, to rapidly upscale into nuclear.

• Daily catered lunch. Free snacks and drinks.

• Flexible PTO policy. Remote workday allocation.

• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and in-person camaraderie.

• Beautiful El Segundo headquarters close to the Pacific Ocean.

Total Compensation and Benefits Radiant compensates people for impact and invests in those who continue to raise the bar. Radiant’s new hire compensation package includes base salary, substantial equity grants, and comprehensive health benefits. Total compensation and level are determined through a rigorous evaluation of interview performance, experience, education, and qualifications, and are designed to support continued growth as scope, responsibility, and impact expand at Radiant.

The best of today’s advanced reactor builders don’t wait for job postings. They join the winning team. If that’s you, contact us directly for immediate opportunities: [email protected].

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.