Deputy Director, PMO

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.”

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

Deputy Director, PMO

TerraPower is seeking a highly experienced Deputy Director, PMO to serve as the direct, principal support to the PMO Director within the Corporate PMO. This position reports directly to the PMO Director and shares responsibility for the leadership, governance, and performance of the project portfolio under the PMO Director's authority.

Responsibilities

• The Deputy Director will play a critical role in establishing and advancing the processes, standards, tools, and analytical capabilities used to oversee TerraPower's portfolio of advanced nuclear projects, including the Natrium advanced reactor project.
• The Deputy Director will interface with Project Managers, Project Controls leadership, functional organizations, senior executives, and external stakeholders to provide independent project insight, strengthen project predictability, and drive consistent execution across the organization.
• The position requires both deep technical expertise and the ability to influence across organizational boundaries. The Deputy Director will identify emerging performance issues, challenge assumptions, recommend corrective actions, and lead improvements to the systems and processes used to plan, measure, forecast, and communicate project performance.
• Serve as the PMO Director's principal deputy, acting on their behalf — including during absences — to maintain continuity of PMO operations, team leadership, and decision-making.
• Lead day-to-day execution of Corporate PMO standards, procedures, and governance frameworks established by the PMO Director.
• Oversee integration of cost, schedule, risk, resources, and performance information to give the PMO Director a clear, comprehensive view of project health and forecast performance.
• Oversee project planning and scheduling activities (Integrated Master Schedule, baseline management, milestone tracking, progress measurement, forecasting) to ensure technically sound, well-maintained schedules.
• Oversee project cost and performance management (budgets, forecasts, EAC/ETC, variance analysis) and monitor key EVMS indicators (CPI, SPI) to flag issues early.
• Identify emerging risks, trends, and execution challenges, and work with Project Managers, Project Controls, and functional teams to develop mitigation and corrective-action plans, escalating to the PMO Director as needed.
• Maintain consistent project performance metrics, KPIs, dashboards, and reporting standards across the portfolio.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and mentorship to Project Controls staff (cost engineers, schedulers, risk analysts, performance analysts).
• Serve as a point of contact for complex or cross-functional project controls issues, escalating to the PMO Director when they exceed delegated authority.
• Facilitate project and schedule reviews and represent the PMO Director in meetings and forums when delegated to do so.
• Provide regular briefings to the PMO Director on project health, risks, and performance — and to the Senior Director of PMO or executive leadership when acting in the PMO Director's absence.
• Build strong working relationships across engineering, procurement, construction, finance, supply chain, and project management to support alignment on priorities.

Key Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, project management, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in Project Management, Project Controls, or PMO leadership supporting large, complex programs.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in one or more Project Controls disciplines (cost, planning and controls, scheduling, EVMS, risk, performance analysis, governance, or compliance), with proven ability to provide technical leadership across projects and functions.
• Experience integrating scope, cost, schedule, risk, resources, and performance data to assess project health, evaluate complex performance trends, and support leadership decision-making — including managing or integrating supplier/contractor reporting on large programs.
• Demonstrated ability to establish, implement, and improve PMO and Project Controls standards, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and resolving complex project issues across Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Construction, and Project Controls.
• Ability to serve as a trusted deputy and advisor to PMO leadership, providing objective, data-driven assessments of performance, risk, and forecast outcomes, and communicating complex information clearly to executives, project teams, and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization.
• Experience mentoring Project Controls professionals and translating lessons learned into standardized, repeatable processes.
• Proficiency with Primavera P6 and Microsoft Office; experience with Power BI or other enterprise Project Controls platforms preferred.
• Strong understanding of U.S. government reporting, governance, and compliance requirements for federally supported programs, with a demonstrated commitment to rigorous QA and configuration-controlled environments; experience in advanced nuclear, energy, or other highly regulated programs strongly preferred.

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Job Functions:

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation.  Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations.  An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government.  TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.  To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.  Government export authorization approval times vary.  Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Salary Range: $184,368 - $245,824

Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information:  https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/