Reactor Operator/Senior Reactor Operator

Job Summary

Deep Fission is seeking a Licensed Reactor Operator to enter our Initial Operator Training (IOT) pipeline, earn licensure, and then stand watch as the licensed operator with final authority on shift. Licensure follows a two-phase sequence: initial qualification under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 426.2, followed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) operator licensing. Once qualified, you will perform the direct control room functions of a Reactor Operator (RO) and carry the supervisory responsibilities of a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) and Shift Supervisor.

This is not a seat on an established shift crew. Deep Fission is in the design and pre-licensing phase, so the operators we hire now will help write the procedures they will later run, shape the plant they will later operate, and build the training program that qualifies the operators who follow them. Precedent is limited and requirements are still taking shape. We are honest about that, and we are looking for operators who read it as the reason to come rather than a reason to wait.

The Operations Department is small by design and critical by necessity. Every operator hired onto this team has an outsized role in determining how this reactor is built, licensed, and run.

Key Responsibilities

• During Initial Training and Licensure
  • Complete all phases of the Deep Fission Initial Operator Training program, including classroom instruction, simulator training, and on-the-job supervised watch standing.
  • Pass the Deep Fission written examination at a minimum score of 80 percent, and pass the Qualification Board.
  • Obtain initial DOE qualification to operate the Deep Fission reactor, then progress to NRC operator licensing.
• On Shift Following Licensure
  • Serve as the on-shift lead with final authority on all reactor operations decisions.
  • Perform direct control room operator functions, including reactor startups, power changes, and shutdowns, as the licensed operator on shift.
  • Serve as the Emergency Classification Authority, determine and declare Emergency Action Levels, and make all required notifications.
  • Apply and interpret Technical Specifications, and determine Limiting Conditions of Operation, required actions, and completion times.
  • Maintain reactivity management authority, including shutdown margin control and boron management.
  • Exercise stop-work authority, and shut down the reactor without hesitation when safety requires it.
  • Participate in emergency drills, and carry emergency response organization responsibilities.
  • Take on additional duties as assigned, including outage support and departmental coverage.
• Design, Procedures, and Program Development
  • Participate in plant design reviews, and bring the Operations perspective to the Engineering, Licensing, and Testing teams.
  • Develop and review operating procedures, emergency operating procedures, and training materials.
  • Help validate the Deep Fission Operations Training Program and the operating culture that will govern this plant.

Required Skills & Experience

• Meet or exceed one of the following experience paths:
  • NRC licensed operator: Hold, or have held, an NRC Reactor Operator or Senior Reactor Operator license, with a minimum of one year of licensed operating experience at a comparable facility.
  • Military reactor operator: Bring a minimum of 18 months of post-qualification experience in a military reactor position equivalent to Reactor Operator or Supervisor, including Engineering Watch Supervisor, Reactor Operator, Engineering Officer of the Watch, or Propulsion Plant Watch Supervisor.
  • SRO instructor: Hold current or previous NRC SRO Instructor certification, with a minimum of four years of experience at a comparable facility or six years at a non-comparable facility.
• Demonstrate that you have supervised, or brought a reactor to criticality in the plant or on a simulator.
• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Pass the Deep Fission technical aptitude battery at or above the 75th percentile.
• Complete a favorable pre-employment medical examination appropriate to the duties of the position, and complete annual medical re-examination throughout your tenure.
• Maintain vision and hearing adequate for a control room environment, with no condition that affects judgment or reaction time under shift conditions.
• Enroll in and comply with the Deep Fission Fitness for Duty Program, equivalent to 10 CFR 26, including pre-employment drug screening and random testing throughout employment.
• Work rotating 12 hour shifts in a 24/7 operations environment.
• Relocate to Parsons, Kansas, and work on site with relocation support provided by Deep Fission.
• Work independently and across functions with senior stakeholders in a remote-first company where the Operations team is site-based.
• Travel domestically for team offsites, training sessions, and site visits as required, with up to 20 percent travel anticipated.
• Must be a U.S. person eligible to meet DOE Export Control requirements under 10 CFR 810.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Hold a bachelor's degree in a technical field, ideally nuclear, mechanical, or electrical engineering.
• Bring pressurized water reactor operating experience.
• Bring nuclear emergency response experience in a leadership role.
• Bring experience writing or validating operating procedures, emergency operating procedures, or operator training programs at a new or first-of-a-kind facility.
• Bring commercial or private-sector experience, ideally in a high-growth or newly public company.

Key Competencies

• Conservative Decision-Making – Chooses the conservative action without prompting, and places the safety of the public and the plant above production.
• Nuclear Safety Culture – Raises concerns early, welcomes challenge, and treats a questioning attitude as part of the job rather than an interruption to it.
• Composure Under Pressure – Holds judgment steady through transients, alarms, and time pressure, and communicates clearly while doing it.
• Procedural Discipline – Follows procedures precisely, and recognizes and escalates the point at which a procedure no longer fits the plant condition.
• Adaptability and Resilience – Adjusts approach in ambiguous or first-of-a-kind situations, and learns and pivots quickly.
• Ownership – Takes responsibility for the watch, the crew, and the programs still being built, without waiting to be assigned.