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Senior Director, Cyber Engineering

Seattle, WA

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing startup in the nuclear and energy space creating a never before seen fleet-scale approach to building nuclear reactors. Through its design-once, build-many approach and coalition building across communities, regulators, and financial stakeholders, The Nuclear Company is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity at the lowest cost, while catalyzing the nuclear industry toward rapid development in America and globally.

Senior Director of Cyber Engineering

About the Role

As Senior Director of Cyber Engineering at The Nuclear Company, you will lead the development and execution of comprehensive cybersecurity programs that protect mission-critical nuclear infrastructure and digital systems. This executive leadership role combines strategic vision with hands-on technical expertise to build and manage world-class cybersecurity operations for Nuclear OS and fleet-scale nuclear power plant deployment. You'll work at the cutting edge of nuclear cybersecurity, partnering with industry leaders like Palantir and Pentera while interfacing directly with NRC, DoD, and DHS regulators to establish the cybersecurity standards that will define nuclear operations for decades to come.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Management

  • Serve as Cybersecurity Program Sponsor with overall responsibility and accountability for the cybersecurity program, providing necessary resources for its development, implementation, and maintenance
  • Oversee cybersecurity operations across all nuclear facilities and digital systems, ensuring compliance with 10 CFR 73.54 and NRC requirements
  • Provide oversight and direction on all cybersecurity issues affecting nuclear plant operations and Nuclear OS platform
  • Lead cybersecurity evaluations of digital systems and critical digital assets (CDAs)
  • Maintain expert skill and knowledge in cybersecurity, staying current with emerging threats, technologies, and regulatory requirements

 Team Leadership & Development

Build and lead a world-class cybersecurity organization including cybersecurity specialists, incident response teams, and adversarial simulation experts

  • Foster a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices
  • Recruit, mentor, and develop cybersecurity talent with specialized expertise in nuclear systems and critical infrastructure protection
  • Establish training programs for cybersecurity awareness, specialized technical training, and incident response
  • Lead large, distributed cybersecurity teams across multiple nuclear sites and projects

Defense-in-Depth & Incident Response

  • Implement and maintain defense-in-depth protective strategies to detect, prevent, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks on critical digital assets
  • Oversee cybersecurity incident response teams and ensure rapid, effective response to cyber incidents
  • Conduct sophisticated adversarial attack simulations to expose critical gaps and validate security controls
  • Develop realistic threat models based on current threat intelligence and emerging attack vectors
  • Lead tabletop exercises and live drills simulating cyber incidents to test response capabilities

Regulatory & Strategic Partnerships

  • Work directly with NRC, DoD, and DHS officials, influencing national cybersecurity policy for nuclear facilities
  • Validate system performance with NRC observers and DoD test partners under adversarial conditions
  • Partner with industry leaders like Palantir and Pentera to leverage cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies
  • Manage partnerships with major technology vendors to ensure Nuclear OS cybersecurity capabilities remain best-in-class
  • Establish cybersecurity standards that will define nuclear operations for decades to come

 Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Lead cross-functional collaboration between cybersecurity, software engineering, nuclear engineering, and operations teams
  • Partner with software engineering teams to implement defensive improvements and secure system architectures
  • Communicate effectively with C-suite executives, technical teams, and regulatory stakeholders

Required Qualifications

  • 15+ years of cybersecurity experience with 8+ years in leadership roles managing security programs
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Security, Engineering, or related field
  • Deep expertise in NRC cybersecurity regulations (10 CFR 73.54) and NEI cybersecurity program requirements
  • Proven track record building and scaling cybersecurity organizations in highly regulated industries
  • Expert knowledge of defense-in-depth strategies, incident response, and threat modeling
  • Experience with cybersecurity evaluations of digital systems and critical infrastructure
  • Strong understanding of industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA, and operational technology (OT) security
  • Demonstrated ability to lead large, distributed security teams across multiple sites
  • Strong communication skills with ability to interface with C-suite executives, regulators, and technical teams
  • Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC, or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in nuclear industry or critical infrastructure protection (energy, defense, aerospace)
  • Direct experience working with NRC, DoD, DHS, or other regulatory bodies
  • Background in adversarial simulation and red team/blue team operations
  • Experience with Palantir technologies or similar data integration platforms for security operations
  • Knowledge of advanced cybersecurity tools including penetration testing platforms (e.g., Pentera)
  • Experience managing partnerships with major technology vendors and security service providers
  • Background in digital engineering and secure software development lifecycle
  • Experience with AI/ML security and securing data-intensive platforms
  • Advanced degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or related field

What We Offer

  • Mission-Critical Impact: Protect nuclear facilities that power communities while advancing clean energy technology
  • Cutting-Edge Technology: Work with the most advanced cybersecurity tools and methodologies in partnership with industry leaders like Pentera and Palantir
  • Regulatory Leadership: Help establish cybersecurity standards that will define nuclear operations for decades to come
  • Elite Team Environment: Join a select group of cybersecurity professionals working on the most sophisticated challenges in critical infrastructure protection
  • Direct Government Interface: Work directly with NRC, DoD, and DHS officials, influencing national cybersecurity policy for nuclear facilities
  • Professional Growth: Opportunity to build and lead a world-class cybersecurity organization from the ground up
  • Competitive Compensation: Executive-level salary packages reflecting the specialized nature and critical importance of nuclear cybersecurity roles
  • Comprehensive Benefits: Full health, dental, vision, retirement, and professional development benefits package

Why This Role Matters

As Senior Director of Cyber Engineering at TNC, you'll be instrumental in protecting the digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of clean, carbon-free nuclear energy at scale. Your leadership will directly contribute to making nuclear construction and operations more secure, resilient, and compliant with the highest regulatory standards - ultimately helping to address global climate challenges while ensuring the safety and security of critical energy infrastructure. This is an opportunity to shape how an entire industry approaches cybersecurity and to leave a lasting legacy in both nuclear energy and national security.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation packages
  • 401k with company match
  • Medical, dental, vision plans
  • Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range
The estimated starting salary range for this role is $200,000 - $260,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company’s discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role. 

EEO Statement
The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.

Export Control
Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.

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