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Director of Talent

El Segundo, California, United States

Radiant is an El-Segundo, CA-based clean energy startup building a nuclear microreactor. A climate-friendly alternative to diesel generators, Radiant's Kaleidos 1MW microreactor will be the world's first portable, zero-emissions power source that works anywhere. We plan to test our development reactor by 2026 and if successful, it will be the first new commercial reactor design to achieve a fueled test in over 50 years. Radiant's goal is to bring one of the world's first factory-constructed microreactors to market. Our microreactor can bring power to remote parts of the world and provide backup power for life-saving applications in hospitals or disaster-relief scenarios. 

Director of Talent Acquisition

Radiant is seeking a bold, strategic, and hands-on Director of Talent Acquisition to build and scale an industry-leading recruiting function. This leader will shape Radiant’s most critical asset—our team. You’ll be responsible for attracting and securing top-tier talent across engineering, operations, and corporate functions, helping us bring our historic microreactor to criticality.

The ideal candidate is both visionary and execution-focused—someone who thrives in high-growth, high-ambiguity environments and brings deep expertise in scaling technical teams. You should be energized by tough challenges, obsessive about quality, and committed to hiring the top 5% of talent across disciplines.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with Radiant’s leadership team to define hiring priorities, forecast workforce needs, and lead the charge on strategic recruiting initiatives that fuel our technical and commercial growth. You’ll also serve as a cultural ambassador, helping to embed our values into every candidate touchpoint while driving a rigorous, data-informed recruiting engine that scales with our ambitions. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of nuclear energy and the team that will make it happen.

Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Lead and scale a high-performing talent acquisition team to meet hiring goals across engineering, operations, and Corporate G&A.
  • Partner with executive leadership, senior leadership and hiring managers to forecast talent needs. Define hiring priorities aligned with Radiant’s technical milestones and long-term commercial strategy.
  • Collaborate with People, Finance, and Operations to ensure hiring plans align with budget, compliance, and regulatory considerations—including federal guidelines tied to nuclear energy and defense-related programs.
  • Assess the talent market across multiple states or regions to support Radiant’s multi-site growth strategy, including analysis of location-specific talent pools, labor laws, and compensation.
  • Develop strategies for talent acquisition across varied geographies and labor markets.
  • Implement structured, data-driven recruiting practices that ensure high quality of hire and uphold an excellent employer brand and candidate experience.
  • Drive creative and proactive sourcing strategies. Build talent pipelines for hard-to-fill roles and future growth areas.
  • Own executive recruitment, including oversight of partner agencies.
  • Represent Radiant at industry events, conferences, and strategic recruiting opportunities.
  • Continuously evaluate and optimize tools, processes, and metrics to scale recruiting efficiently.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
  • 10+ years of technical talent acquisition experience in hardware and manufacturing/production environments.
  • 2-5 years of progressive talent acquisition leadership experience.

Desired Qualifications and Skills:

  • Mission-obsessed: Deep belief in the company’s mission and a natural ability to evangelize it to inspire top-tier candidates.
  • Demonstrated success in building and scaling recruiting and talent acquisition teams from (pre)prototype to production.
  • Insatiable intellectual curiosity and motivation.
  • Sharp judgment in identifying high-caliber, mission-aligned talent, particularly in technical roles with niche expertise.
  • Strategic and systems thinker with a keen eye for prioritizing short-term critical needs and appropriately resourcing long-term strategic initiatives.
  • Adaptable and flexible to a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
  • Delivers consistent outcomes under tight timelines, with a focus on quality, metrics that move the needle, and continuous improvement.
  • Strong negotiator, storyteller, and coalition builder.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain a network of high-performing talent.
  • Strong executive presence. Confident in managing, counseling, and coaching executive leadership, senior leadership and hiring managers.

Additional Requirements:

  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to accomplish our mission.
  • Must work 100% onsite at El Segundo HQ.
  • Must be willing to travel on occasion to recruitment and networking events.
  • Frequency of travel will increase over time, as we expand to multi-state operations.

Employee Benefits for Eligible Employees:

  • Stock: Substantial incentive stock plan for all full time, salaried employees.
  • Medical: 100% up to base silver level plan for employee + 50% dependents, offers up to Platinum plans.
  • One Medical: Sponsored memberships for employees and their dependents. 
  • Vision: 100% top tier plan coverage + 50% for dependents.
  • Dental: 100% top tier plan coverage, orthodontia extra, 50% for dependents.
  • Voluntary Life, Accident, Hospital, Critical Illness, Commuter and FSA are offered as employee contributed benefits.
  • Free snacks and drinks onsite. 
  • Flexible PTO policy.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time. This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.

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