Community Relations Manager

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Community Relations Manager to join our team. 

Position Description

Do you think advanced fission is awesome? We do too.

We are seeking a mission-driven Community Relations Manager to guide our engagement efforts in Ohio and Tennessee. This role is essential to ensuring our work reflects local priorities, supports regional opportunity, and honors the extraordinary legacies of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Southern Ohio and Oak Ridge in Tennessee—two American communities whose contributions to national security, scientific innovation, and economic strength continue to shape the country today.

This position is for someone who thrives in the field, understands the importance of showing up, and believes that strong, healthy communities are the foundation of any successful project.

This position supports community engagement across Ohio and Tennessee, with emphasis on Southeast Ohio and Oak Ridge. Each region has its own identity, history, and energy legacy. You will help develop and execute on-the-ground strategies that build trust, support project success, and advance long-term community benefit—always with respect for the people and traditions that make each place unique.

Ohio Region (Broad coverage, with emphasis on Southeast Ohio)

The Ohio portion of this role focuses on the communities surrounding the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Piketon—a site that has shaped regional identity and economic development for generations. Oklo is working to build a new advanced fission facility at the PORTS site that will support grid stability, attract new industry, and contribute to the shared redevelopment vision championed by DOE, SODI, PORTSFuture and regional leaders.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Awareness of the PORTS site’s history as a major federal installation—spanning enrichment, national security activities, and extensive technical and support operations—and its significance to local families and the regional workforce.
• Familiarity with long-standing community priorities related to economic transition, environmental stewardship, and redevelopment.
• Deep appreciation for the character and needs of Appalachian counties nd their longstanding connection to federal and industrial operations.
• Enthusiasm for supporting economic revitalization through job creation, workforce pathways, STEM education partnerships, and initiatives such as waste recycling or productive land reuse.

You will also support community engagement activities across Ohio more broadly as the state experiences rapid industrial expansion and rising energy needs.

Tennessee Region (Broad coverage, with emphasis on Oak Ridge)

In Tennessee, this role supports communities shaped by the historic scientific legacy of Oak Ridge. Oklo is planning to develop an advanced fuel recycling and production facility in Oak Ridge—building on the region’s world-leading expertise in nuclear science, materials research, and fuel-cycle innovation. By locating this work in a community that has shaped America’s nuclear legacy for more than eight decades, Oklo aims to help strengthen national energy security, support domestic fuel independence, and contribute to the region’s long-standing role as a hub of scientific and technological leadership. This effort aligns with local priorities, leverages Oak Ridge’s unparalleled technical ecosystem, and reflects a commitment to responsible, transparent, and community-minded partnership.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Familiarity with Oak Ridge’s role in the Manhattan Project and its enduring influence on national security and nuclear research.
• Understanding of Oak Ridge’s evolution into a national center of excellence through institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
• Appreciation for the region’s unique blend of scientific expertise, federal partnership, and strong civic identity.
• Awareness of local economic drivers, workforce strengths, and the long-standing relationship between regional communities and nuclear innovation.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Support and help lead community engagement across Ohio and Tennessee, with focused attention on Southeast Ohio and Oak Ridge. Support other sites as needed. 
• Build trusted relationships with neighbors, near neighbors, local officials, schools, nonprofits, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, and business associations.
• Assist in developing and implementing community relations strategies that strengthen Oklo’s regional reputation, support project success, and contribute to positive community outcomes.
• Respond to community questions and concerns with timely, accurate, and transparent communication.
• Help coordinate and support site tours, including preparing materials, greeting guests, and facilitating positive, informative experiences for community members and partners.
• Build and maintain a strong network of local partners to address community priorities and feedback.
• Collaborate with internal teams—including government affairs, business development, operations, construction, security, communications, and planning—to ensure community perspectives are integrated into project initiatives.
• Support workforce and economic development initiatives that strengthen community vitality and provide new opportunities for local residents.
• Build partnerships with community-based organizations to support volunteerism, charitable contributions, and other initiatives important to local residents.
• Contribute to neighbor communication activities, including public notices, mailings, digital outreach, phone outreach, and coordination with HOAs or local associations.
• Help plan and facilitate community events, open houses, school programs, public meetings, and other engagement activities.
• Support proactive engagement and risk-mitigation strategies for ongoing and upcoming projects.
• Represent Oklo at community events, chamber functions, school and workforce programs, and local government meetings to share information and strengthen relationships

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in community relations, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, economic development, government relations, or related fields.
• Proven conflict-resolution abilities rooted in empathy, active listening, and building trust across diverse community perspectives.
• Background working within active construction zones, building trust with construction personnel and nearby residents by facilitating communication, addressing concerns, and supporting safe, coordinated operations.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, authentic relationships across diverse communities.
• Experience working in or with Appalachian or rural communities is highly beneficial.
• Strong communication skills—verbal and written—with the ability to engage across technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Ability to work independently in dynamic environments with a high degree of initiative and judgment.
• Comfort with frequent in-person engagement, regional travel, and participation in community events outside standard business hours.
• Familiarity with clean energy, advanced fission, nuclear innovation, or energy infrastructure preferred but not required.
• Passion for community partnership, economic development, and helping advance a clean energy future.
• Be able to support both Ohio and Tennessee with occasional travel to other Oklo project sites

Competencies

We are looking for a Community Relations Manager who is:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Familiar with industry codes and standards such as IBC and ASCE
• 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-$160,000

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.