What we do at Blykalla

Blykalla is a Swedish nuclear technology company developing SEALER, a lead-cooled small modular reactor built on two decades of research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. SEALER is one of the most technically mature advanced reactor concepts in Europe and is moving from technology development into project execution.

We are now establishing our US presence, engaging with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the national laboratories, and building the regulatory foundation for a US demonstration reactor. Our team of ~100 engineers, regulatory experts, and project professionals spans Sweden and the US.

What you’ll get to do

We are hiring a Senior Director, US Licensing & Regulatory Affairs to own Blykalla's entire US regulatory pathway; from DOE authorization of our demonstration reactor through NRC licensing of commercial units. This is the most senior regulatory position in Blykalla US and reports directly to the CEO.

You will be Blykalla's principal interface to the NRC, DOE, INL / Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). You will shape and lead pre-application engagement with the NRC, steward the Launch Pad authorization pathway, and translate a novel lead-cooled reactor concept into a licensing basis the US regulator can act on. Over time you will build and lead a US licensing team.

The role is technical and strategic in equal measure. You will personally draft and defend key licensing submissions where the technology is most novel, while also owning Blykalla's regulatory strategy at the executive level.

Core Responsibilities

The role covers five distinct areas.

1. NRC Licensing Strategy

Define and own Blykalla's US regulatory pathway through pre-application engagement, Regulatory Engagement Plan (REP), topical reports, and construction permit / operating license or combined license applications.

Select and defend the licensing framework (10 CFR Part 50, Part 52, or Part 53) for the US demonstration and subsequent commercial units.

Anticipate policy issues unique to lead-cooled fast reactors (e.g., source term, coolant chemistry, structural materials, passive safety credit) and sequence them into the NRC engagement plan.

2. DOE Authorization & National Lab Engagement

Lead Blykalla's DOE authorization strategy for the US demonstration reactor, including applications under Launchpad or successor programs.

Own the regulatory interface with INL and BEA for any DOE-sited prototype, including safety documentation, DOE Authorization Requests, and approvals.

Align DOE authorization and NRC licensing so the demonstration reactor serves as a credible precedent for subsequent commercial NRC licensing.

3. Regulatory Documentation & Technical Licensing

Personally own or review first-of-a-kind licensing documents: safety analyses, PRA and risk-informed justifications, design-basis accident selection, source term, and principal design criteria.

Translate engineering and safety work product from Swedish teams into US regulatory submittals that meet NRC formatting, precedent, and expectation.

Identify and resolve gaps where no NRC precedent exists for lead-cooled technology, and develop the regulatory basis to establish new precedent.

4. Cross-Functional & Transatlantic Alignment

Partner with the global VP Regulatory Affairs in Sweden to keep SSM and NRC programs mutually reinforcing, avoiding duplication and exploiting shared safety case work where possible.

Work with engineering, safety, and project management in Sweden to ensure the SEALER design basis is preserved through US licensing translation.

Brief the CEO, board, and investors on US regulatory status, risks, and milestones.

5. Team & Function Building

Build and lead a US-based licensing team as the program scales, defining roles, hiring criteria, and ways of working.

Establish Blykalla's US regulatory operating system: document control, NRC correspondence standards, RAI tracking, and audit-ready records.

Represent Blykalla on selected industry bodies (NEI, US NIC, GAIN) where doing so advances our licensing position.

Qualifications

Required

• 20+ years in US nuclear regulatory affairs or licensing, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

• Deep, direct experience with NRC processes: pre-application engagement, topical reports, construction permit applications, COL, or Part 53.

• Track record of leading or materially contributing to at least one advanced, novel, or first-of-a-kind US licensing effort.

• Ability to personally author and defend NRC-facing technical licensing documentation — not just manage others doing so.

• BS in Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline. Advanced degree and/or SRO license preferred.

Strongly Preferred

• Prior senior-level experience at NRC or DOE (NE-3, NE-5, or National Lab), with an active professional network in those institutions.

• Experience licensing non-LWR technology (sodium, lead, molten salt, HTGR).

• Direct experience with DOE authorization pathways (Launchpad, DOE Order 420.1, DARK or equivalent).

• Experience building a licensing function from zero at a vendor, utility, or national lab.

• Prior industry leadership role on NEI, US NIC, or ANS advanced-reactor working groups.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with European nuclear regulation (SSM, ONR, ASN) and the IAEA framework.

• Risk-Informed / Performance-Based (RIPB) licensing experience.

• PRA or severe accident analysis background.

Location, Travel & Compensation

• Location: Washington, DC- proximity to NRC HQ in Rockville and DOE. Hybrid, with 2–3 days in office.

• Travel: Regular US travel (NRC Rockville, DOE, INL, project sites). Quarterly travel to Sweden expected.

• Base salary: $240,000–$310,000, depending on experience.

• Equity: Meaningful equity participation commensurate with an N-1 role.

• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) via Deel.

Why Join

Blykalla is one of a small handful of companies worldwide with a lead-cooled reactor design mature enough to license. Most US advanced reactor vendors are in the same regulatory queue you will navigate; but none of them is working on lead. That means you will shape the US regulatory basis for an entire technology family, not just a single design.

You will work directly with the CEO and a small senior team. You will build the US licensing function from the ground up, with the authority and budget to do it properly. And you will do it for a design we believe can deliver clean, firm, safe power in markets that need it most.

If you've spent the bulk of your career inside the US regulatory system and you want to use that experience to bring a novel technology to deployment, we would like to talk to you.

 We are not open to external help from recruitment agencies.