Senior Manager, Policy & Engagement

Thanks for your interest in Oklo!  We are searching for a Sr. Manager, Policy & Engagement to join our team in Idaho Falls, ID.

Position Description

Oklo is seeking a Senior Manager, Idaho Policy and Engagement to lead the company’s strategic engagement and stakeholder relationships. This role will serve as Oklo’s primary local representative and external face for government stakeholders (e.g., state, local, DOE), visitors, and regional stakeholders across the company’s Idaho portfolio.

This role sits at the intersection of policy, deployment strategy, stakeholder engagement, communications, market development, and strategic partnerships. The individual will work across internal teams and external stakeholders to help ensure Oklo remains ahead of emerging opportunities and challenges related to advanced nuclear deployment in Idaho. The Manager will be responsible for building and maintaining trusted relationships throughout Idaho while helping advance Oklo’s long-term strategic objectives. A key focus of the role will be supporting engagement activities associated with Aurora-INL, Oklo fuel fabrication, and Oklo isotopes, while helping position Oklo for future strategic projects as the company expands its presence in the state.

This individual will support Idaho-based stakeholder engagement efforts, coordinate executive and visitor engagements, serve as a liaison between Idaho operations and company leadership, and help ensure Oklo maintains a strong and credible presence across the state.

The ideal candidate will have experience operating across government affairs, economic development, infrastructure, energy, industrial development, public policy, or large-scale project deployment and be comfortable engaging with stakeholders at all levels.

This position is based in Idaho Falls and will require onsite presence at Aurora-INL and other sites across Southeast Idaho, regular travel throughout the state, as well as periodic travel to Oklo headquarters and other company locations. This position will require being on site frequently and in person, thus offering limited remote work opportunities. 

Specific responsibilities may include:

Idaho Strategy & Ecosystem Development

• Support development and execution of Oklo’s Idaho engagement and growth strategy
• Monitor and analyze Idaho legislative, regulatory, political, economic, and community developments impacting advanced nuclear deployment and related industries
• Identify strategic opportunities and risks related to reactor deployment, fuel cycle activities, manufacturing, radioisotopes, infrastructure development, workforce development, and economic growth
• Support long-term ecosystem development for advanced nuclear technologies and related industries within Idaho
• Help strengthen Oklo’s position within Idaho’s energy, industrial, research, workforce, and economic development communities

Government Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as Oklo’s primary external representative and relationship manager across Idaho
• Build and maintain strong relationships with:
  • Idaho’s state elected officials and state agencies
  • DOE-ID and Idaho National Lab
  • Congressional offices and federal stakeholders
  • County and municipal governments
  • Tribal governments and organizations through coordination with DOE(at direction of Community Affairs)
  • Economic development organizations (at direction of Community Affairs)
  • Industry associations 
• Represent Oklo at meetings, conferences, workshops, industry forums, and stakeholder engagements throughout Idaho
• Support Community Relations team as directed, attending community events on behalf of Oklo
• Work with external consultants, advisors, and strategic partners where appropriate

Idaho Portfolio Leadership & Site Representation

• Develop deep familiarity with Oklo’s Idaho-based projects and initiatives
• Serve as the primary liaison between Idaho operations, project teams, and company leadership
• Become the company’s foremost resource on Idaho-specific projects, stakeholders, opportunities, and community dynamics
• Support strategic engagement activities associated with Aurora-INL and other Idaho-based projects

Visitor Experience & Executive Engagement

• Design, develop, and manage a best-in-class temporary visitor experience program for Idaho facilities and projects
• Serve as host and primary representative for all visitors to Oklo’s Idaho operations
• Coordinate executive visits, stakeholder tours, project briefings, and special events
• Coordinate across Operations, EHS, Security, Government Affairs, Community Relations, Corporate Communications, and project teams to ensure safe, professional, and effective site visits
• Help communicate Oklo’s vision, technology, and Idaho strategy to a broad range of audiences

Strategic Initiatives & Policy Development

• Develop briefing materials, presentations, stakeholder analyses, and strategic recommendations
• Support policy and stakeholder strategies that advance Oklo’s Idaho objectives
• Help identify opportunities related to infrastructure investment, workforce development, advanced manufacturing, fuel cycle development, and radioisotope production
• Support partnerships with government, industry, research institutions, and community organizations
• Advance initiatives that strengthen Idaho’s role as a leader in advanced nuclear innovation and deployment

Cross-Functional Strategic Coordination

This role will be part of the Government Affairs team but will work with:

• Community Relations
• Corporate Communications
• Regulatory Affairs
• Construction
• Commercial and Business Development
• Project Development
• Supply Chain and Manufacturing

Help align external engagement, messaging, partnerships, and strategic initiatives across teams:

• Coordinate internal efforts related to Idaho-specific initiatives and priorities
• Monitor local concerns and lead coordinated effort to address them.
• Strategic Initiatives & Policy Development 
• Support development of policy recommendations, white papers, briefing materials, presentations, and strategic analyses
• Assist with proposals, funding opportunities, strategic partnerships, and state-level initiatives
• Help identify opportunities related to workforce development, supply chain expansion, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure investment
• Support cross-industry collaboration efforts that advance advanced nuclear deployment in Idaho 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, engineering, business, communications, energy systems, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in government affairs, stakeholder engagement, economic development, public policy, infrastructure, energy, industrial development, or related fields 
• Strong understanding of Idaho’s political, economic, regulatory, and community landscape
• Experience engaging with senior government officials and external stakeholders
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong relationship-building and organizational abilities
• Ability to translate complex technical and policy issues into clear and actionable communications
• Willingness to travel extensively throughout Idaho and periodically to other Oklo locations, including twice per quarter visits to Oklo HQ in California. 

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience working within or adjacent to Idaho state government, local government, economic development, or regional policy environments
• Familiarity with Idaho National Laboratory and the broader nuclear energy ecosystem
• Experience supporting large-scale infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, technology, or industrial projects
• Experience working with community stakeholders, universities, workforce organizations, and regional development entities
• Familiarity with advanced nuclear technologies, fuel cycle activities, or energy infrastructure development
• Startup, high-growth, or first-of-a-kind deployment experience preferred

Competencies

We are looking for a Sr. Manager, Policy & Engagement that is:

• Passionate about advanced nuclear energy and transformative infrastructure development
• Comfortable serving as the public face of major projects and initiatives
• Entrepreneurial and proactive in identifying opportunities and solving problems
• A trusted relationship builder across government, industry, and community stakeholders
• An effective communicator capable of engaging technical and non-technical audiences alike
• Comfortable operating independently while coordinating across multiple internal teams
• Curious, adaptable, and energized by helping shape the future of advanced nuclear deployment in Idaho
• Collaborative, mission-driven, and excited to help build Oklo’s long-term presence across the state

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. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $80,000-$140,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, 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.