Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) to join our team. 

This position will be positioned in the Austin, Texas area with >50% of travel.

Position Description

Atomic Alchemy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oklo, is building scalable U.S. radioisotope production capabilities in facilities dedicated to producing essential isotopes for healthcare, industry, research, and defense. In May 2025, executive orders were issued directing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to take a leading role in unleashing the American nuclear renaissance. Through these directives, DOE established the Reactor Pilot Program (RPP) to demonstrate at least three advanced reactors reaching criticality by July 4, 2026, or as soon as possible under the program. In August 2025, DOE selected Atomic Alchemy and awarded an RPP project for a pilot radioisotope production facility.

We are seeking a Radiation Safety Officer to serve as the technical authority for radiation protection at one or more of our facilities. This role is designed for an experienced Certified Health Physicist (CHP) or an equivalently seasoned radiation protection professional who brings depth of judgment, and the ability to lead a mature radiation safety program.

The Radiation Safety Officer owns the Radiation Protection Program and is expected to apply informed, technically rigorous decision-making in an operational nuclear environment. The role combines strategic program stewardship with hands-on engagement and offers meaningful influence over facility operations, licensing activities, and long-term safety culture.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Serve as the designated Radiation Safety Officer with full technical authority and accountability for the facility Radiation Protection Program in accordance with regulatory requirements and applicable state regulations.
• Establish, maintain, and enforce radiation protection standards, programs, and procedures using sound health physics principles.
• Provide senior-level technical judgment for reactor operations, radioactive material handling, waste management, and transportation activities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of radiation safety technicians, setting professional standards and fostering strong field execution and safety culture.
• Perform and oversee complex radiological evaluations, including shielding analyses, dose assessments, contamination control strategies, and ALARA planning.
• Integrate radiation protection considerations into facility modifications, new systems, procedure changes, and operational readiness activities.
• Serve as the primary technical interface with regulatory authorities, including external inspectors and state officials, during inspections, audits, and licensing actions.
• Prepare, review, and approve regulatory documentation, license amendments, corrective action plans, and radiation safety training programs.
• Lead investigations of radiological events or abnormal occurrences, including root cause analysis and corrective action development.
• Partner with facility leadership to align radiation protection strategy with operational goals, production demands, and long-term licensing commitments

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in health physics or radiation safety within regulated nuclear, industrial, or related environments.
• Experience leading or supervising technical staff, including mentoring, performance accountability, and professional development.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with regulators, senior leadership, and multidisciplinary technical teams.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Certified Health Physicist (CHP) is strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of DOE and/or NRC regulations pertaining to radiation protection programs.
• Background in reactor operations, research reactors, or nuclear facility startup and commissioning.
• Experience interfacing with external regulators and stakeholders regarding matters pertaining to radiation protection.

Competencies

We are looking for a RSO that is:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• 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.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $100,000-$150,000

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

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

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.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.