Government Affairs Associate

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Oklo is seeking a resourceful, adaptable, Washington D.C. based Government Affairs Associate to primarily support our growing Government Affairs Department, including both federal and state affairs. The government affairs associate will maintain relationships and advance projects that ensure advanced nuclear power is well-positioned to contribute to American energy security and resilience. This role demands a combination of administrative prowess, technical acumen, and the ability to navigate a rapidly evolving political arena.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory, and policy developments impacting Oklo, advanced nuclear and the broader energy ecosystem.
• Support Oklo’s advocacy priorities with project management, document hygiene, content creation, and issue management.
• Advocate for policies and regulatory frameworks that advance Oklo’s strategic goals.
• Develop and implement strategies to support Oklo’s external affairs and public policy objectives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams (e.g., Communications, Engineering, and Operations) to align messaging and strategic initiatives.
• Prepare policy briefs, presentations, and reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop communication materials to support Oklo’s government relations and public policy efforts.
• Handle ad-hoc tasks and projects as required, showcasing resourcefulness and adaptability.
• Provide administrative support as needed to senior leadership on the government affairs team.

Competencies

We are looking for someone that is:

• Willing and able to learn quickly.
• Highly personable and enjoys interacting with people.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative environment
• A natural problem solver, with the ability to navigate challenges, identify solutions, and drive results.
• Comfortable speaking and representing the company, ideally speaks persuasively, demonstrates group presentation skills, and conducts productive meetings.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively.

Critical for Oklo

• Passionate about clean energy. 
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality.
• Willing and able to learn quickly.
• 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, while not leaning only on what has been done before. 
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions.
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally.
• Able to be a true team player and collaborate well with others.
• Demonstrate optimism and a positive attitude.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Business, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 1-3 years of experience in government relations, public policy, or external affairs, preferably within the energy or technology sectors.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with federal, state, and/or local governments.
• Strong understanding of energy policy, regulatory frameworks, and the legislative process.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Fast growth startup or public company experience
• Experience commercializing First of a Kind (FOAK) technologies
• Knowledge of the nuclear power industry.
• Experience working with trade associations, coalitions, and industry stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with federal, state, and/or local governments.
• Strong understanding of energy policy, regulatory frameworks, and the legislative process

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!

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 lack of work-life balance or an unsustainable hustle culture either. 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.

About Oklo compensation: 

Salary: $65,000 - $85,000

Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience.

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

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) is a fast fission clean power technology and nuclear fuel recycling company developing fast fission power plants to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale. Oklo received a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, submitted the first advanced fission custom combined license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.