What we do at Blykalla

Blykalla is a global leader in advanced nuclear technology, commercialising the next generation of clean, reliable energy through its lead-cooled reactor, the SEALER. By combining decades of specialised research with world-class partners, Blykalla is building the backbone of the global AI and industrial economy. For more information, visit https://www.blykalla.com.

Blykalla is working toward deploying its first reactor in the United States. We are looking for an experienced Nuclear Operations Manager to define how the facility will be operated, make sure the design supports that, and lead the operating crew through initial fuel load and approach to criticality.

The facility is still in design. Decisions made over the next year on fuel handling, shielding, the crane, the control room and the operating limits set how the facility will be run for its whole life. You will bring the operator's view into those decisions while they can still be changed, and then run the facility you helped shape.

Our US program, Fjäll, is targeting first criticality n 2027. We are building this program from the ground up, which means every hire is foundational.

Your assignment and mission

As Nuclear Operations Manager, you are responsible for developing and implementing the operational framework for Fjäll, from design through startup and into operations. That covers every operating mode, nuclear and non-nuclear, from fuel receipt and crane lifts to reactor startup and shutdown. During design you write the concept of operations and turn it into requirements on the design and inputs to the safety basis. Toward startup you build the conduct of operations, the procedures and the operator qualification program, and lead the crew through initial fuel load and approach to criticality.

You report to the Head of US Project Development, with a dotted line to Blykalla's SEALER Operations Lead in Sweden so that what we learn in Fjäll carries into the SEALER operating model. After turnover from construction, the Site Manager holds custody of the facility and site authority, and you run operations within that authority. Radiation protection, nuclear criticality safety, quality assurance and material control & accountability sit outside your line to keep them independent, and you operate to the limits they set. You carry Stop-Work Authority.

This is a first-wave hire. The operating crew of senior reactor operators and reactor operators reports to you, together with a training lead who joins as the crew starts qualification.

1. Concept of operations

Write and own the concept of operations for the facility. Define the operating modes and states and the transitions between them, covering fuel receipt and storage, core loading and core changes between experiments, control and safety rod operation, crane lifts and shield-block handling, ventilation, maintenance access, waste handling and shutdown. Keep it current as the design matures.

2. Operations input to design

Define operational requirements and work closely with Engineering and the Design Authority to ensure the facility design supports safe, efficient and practical operations. Work with the core design and fuel teams on how fuel is loaded, moved, stored and accounted for. Take part in design reviews before design freeze and push for changes that make the facility simpler and safer to operate

3. Operations input to the safety basis

Work with nuclear safety & licensing on operating limits, surveillance requirements, conduct of operations and initial testing in the preliminary and final safety analysis. Make sure what the safety basis assumes about operation is something a crew can carry out, and support regulator questions on operations.

4. Conduct of operations and procedures

Establish the conduct of operations program and the procedure structure: normal, abnormal, emergency, fuel handling and surveillance procedures. Define the shift and crew model, logkeeping and shift turnover, and how operations works with work control and configuration management.

5. Operator training and qualification

Design the operator training and qualification program using a systematic approach to training (SAT): job and task analysis, qualification standards for senior reactor operators, reactor operators and support roles, and requalification. Plan how Blykalla's own crews take over from interim operators provided by our operating partner.

6. Operating partner interface

Act as Blykalla's owner-side lead for operations support provided by partners before and through startup. Define what we need from them, accept their deliverables and plan the handover to Blykalla staff.

7. Operational readiness and nuclear startup

Set the acceptance criteria operations needs for systems turned over from construction and commissioning. Lead operations readiness for the startup readiness review. Lead the crew through initial fuel load, approach to criticality and low-power testing, together with the reactor physics and test program engineer, who owns the test content.

Your first 90 days

• Issue the first version of the concept of operations, covering every operating mode and the transitions between them.

• Review the current facility, I&C and fuel handling design against it, and list the design changes operations needs, ranked by what they cost if made late.

• Agree with nuclear safety & licensing which operations inputs the safety analysis needs, and by when.

• Establish the conduct of operations framework and the procedure structure, anchored in the integrated management system.

• Outline the operator training and qualification program, the crew staffing profile and the plan for taking over from partner-provided interim operators.

• Agree with construction and commissioning how systems will be accepted into operations.

• Build named working relationships with the design authority, nuclear safety & licensing, QA, radiation protection, the fuel team, and the operations and human-factors leads in Sweden.

• Identify the highest-priority operational risks and propose how to close them
  

What we're looking for

Must have

• 8+ years in nuclear facility operations, including time as a licensed or certified operator or shift supervisor at a research or test reactor, critical or zero-power facility, DOE nuclear facility, power reactor or in the naval nuclear program.

• Hands-on experience with fuel handling and core loading.

• Experience writing operating procedures and running a conduct of operations program.

• Experience designing or running operator training and qualification using a systematic approach to training.

• Experience giving operations input to the design of a new or modified nuclear facility.

• Understanding of how operating limits and surveillance requirements are derived from a safety analysis.

• Comfort holding and exercising Stop-Work Authority.

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics or a related discipline, or equivalent naval nuclear training and operating experience.

• Strong written communication; comfortable drafting procedures, program documents and regulator-facing material.

• Ability to work in a founder-stage environment where the operating organization is built from scratch.

• US work authorization.

Strong advantage

• A current or former Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) license or DOE operator certification.

• Experience at a critical experiments facility, or with ANSI/ANS-1 (conduct of critical experiments).

• Experience with initial startup, first fuel load or approach to criticality on a new or refurbished facility.

• Operational readiness experience on a nuclear new-build or restart.

• Working knowledge of DOE nuclear facility requirements: 10 CFR 830, DOE O 422.1 (conduct of operations), DOE O 426.2 (training and qualification) and DOE O 425.1 (startup readiness).

• Experience with advanced reactor, first-of-a-kind or demonstration programs.

• Working literacy in radiation protection, nuclear criticality safety and material control & accountability, enough to work effectively with those independent functions.

• Experience giving operator input to control room and human-factors design.

• Experience managing contracted operations staff, or handing operations over from a contractor crew to an owner crew.

Location 

On-site in Austin, TX. Regular travel to the site and occasional travel to Stockholm, Sweden. From fuel load onward the role is expected to be on site.

Reference & Background Checks

As part of our recruitment process, we conduct background checks on all candidates. We may also conduct reference checks to gain a well-rounded understanding of your professional experience, performance, and ways of working. This includes both references provided by you and, where relevant, conversations with other professional contacts who have worked closely with you. We strive to be transparent about our reference-checking process and handle all personal data in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Any additional references will be sought with professional judgment and only when considered relevant to the role.

Salary Range

$180,000-$230,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.

We offer competitive compensation aligned with our internal salary framework and growth potential in the role.

In addition, you can expect:

• Equity participation

• Comprehensive benefits through JustWorks, including medical, dental, and vision insurance and 401(k) with 4% match

We do not accept applications via email. 

We are not open to external help from recruitment agencies. 

Note on AI Use: Blykalla may use AI technology to assist with certain administrative aspects of the hiring process, such as note-taking, interview documentation, and reporting. However, every resume and application is reviewed directly by our recruiting team. AI tools are used solely for operational support and do not influence candidate evaluation or hiring decisions.