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Associate Operator, Engineering Test Unit

Albuquerque, NM

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a motivated and technically capable Associate Operator to support the safe and efficient operation of the Engineering Test Unit (ETU) - a critical facility for advancing the company’s nuclear technology development. As an Associate Operator, you will be part of a high-performing team responsible for executing plant operations, monitoring equipment, collecting operational data, and supporting maintenance and testing activities. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an advanced engineering test facility and contribute directly to the development of next-generation nuclear energy systems.

Responsibilities

Procedure Writing:

  • Develop, maintain, and improve comprehensive operating procedures, control room manuals, and emergency response protocols.
  • Review and update technical documentation to reflect changes in plant design, control strategies, and operational practices.
  • Ensure all procedures meet regulatory, safety, and operational standards and are accessible and understandable for all operations personnel.

Plant Commissioning:

  • Participate actively in pre-commissioning and commissioning activities, including system walk-downs, loop checks, function testing, and validation of control systems.
  • Coordinate with engineering, construction, and vendor teams to ensure proper integration and functionality of control systems

Plant Operations: 

  • Follows policies, principles, procedures, standards, and practices to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of plant areas.
  • Operates and field checks process equipment in accordance with established policies, procedures, and standards to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation.
  • Monitors process conditions, key performance metrics, equipment and control systems and makes appropriate decisions to maintain and/or achieve desired rates and conditions aligned with Kairos’ goals.
  • Performs scheduled operational and related tasks and respond effectively to unplanned events and abnormal conditions.
  • Works with shift team members and other shift teams to leverage skills and knowledge to balance workload ensuring assigned tasks are completed by due dates.
  • Conducts effective shift relief, as defined in facility specific operating discipline and tools, to ensure effective communication and handoff to arriving shift team.
  • Maintains qualification in assigned areas, per Kairos’ policy, and completes training goals in a timely manner; this includes using discretionary time to address skills and knowledge gaps.
  • Performs Immediate Response activities, as assigned.
  • Initiates and documents preliminary investigations in accordance with plant-specific processes and participates in formal and informal root cause analyses for assigned or relevant events.
  • Monitors and applies key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to plant operations to optimize performance and identify improvement opportunities; uses process knowledge to enhance plant efficiency and operational discipline, proactively recommending improvements through established facility improvement, management of change, and communication processes.
  • Performs minor maintenance, including minor repairs and preventative maintenance, utilizing appropriate policies, procedures, processes, and disciplines.
  • Commissions and operates mechanical and electrical equipment.
  • Prepares, reviews, and executes system and component level commissioning, and operating procedures.
  • Performs acceptance testing following new equipment installation including hydrostatic, pneumatic, I/O checks, and electrical component calibration checks.
  • Supports day-to-day operations of the assigned facility including startup, monitor, and shutdown processes and auxiliary equipment.
  • Performs chemistry sampling and analysis using standardized analytical instruments and procedures.
  • Performs equipment troubleshooting as necessary.
  • Perform Lockout/Tagout of mechanical and electrical equipment.
  • Reviews and executes hazardous operations per standardized operating procedures.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

  • Associate degree in a Nuclear Technology or related program or equivalent or 2+ years of experience as a plant operator or technician (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, chemicals, power plant, military, or similar backgrounds are highly desired)
  • Experience with Instrumentation and Controls systems

 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • Ability to understand, follow and create technical procedures.
  • Ability and interest in being cross trained and learning different processes to perform other jobs as needed.
  • Ability and willingness to work with hazardous materials in PPE including SCBA, full-face respirator and Tyvek suit.
  • Familiarity with basic hand tools
  • Mechanically inclined with an ability to operate plant equipment, hands-on experience with plant equipment and operations desired
  • Computer skills including spreadsheet use.
  • Ability to communicate with others effectively.
  • Ability to read P&ID and mechanical/electrical drawings.
  • Always works in a safe and compliant manner.
  • Ability to work with highly collaborative team
  • Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
  • Prioritizes and ensures safety of one self and others
  • Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge
  • Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues

Physical Conditions

  • Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
  • Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
  • Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
  • Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
  • Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to (50) pounds in all directions
  • Communicating with others to exchange information
  • Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
  • Use hand tools

Environmental Conditions

  • General office environment
  • Low temperatures
  • High temperatures
  • Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind 
  • Noisy environments
  • Small and/or enclosed spaces
  • Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
  • Elevated heights
  • Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
  • High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE

  • Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
  • Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
  • Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
  • Color identification: detecting, distinguishing, recognizing and identifying colors
  • Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes, self-contained breathing apparatus, full-face respirator, Tyvek suit, etc.
  • Handling of Beryllium (Be)

Travel

  • Some travel may be required (5%) 

Certification

  • Capable of obtaining forklift and boom lift certification 

Additional Requirements

  • Regularly requires overtime 
  • Regularly requires working weekends 
  • Regularly requires schedule flexibility 
  • Regularly requires non-standard work-week hours 
  • Regularly requires working 2nd shift, beginning at 3:00pm local time 
  • Regularly requires working 3rd shift, beginning at 11:00pm local time 
  • Regularly requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

 #LI-Onsite

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

  • Competitive compensation packages
  • Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
  • Paid Vacation
  • 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810

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