Director, HR & Labor Relations

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values—Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity—guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The Human Resources Leader will serve as the strategic HR partner to the General Manager for a newly established union organization. This individual will be responsible for building and leading all HR functions, with a primary focus on labor relations, collective bargaining, and union management partnership development. The role is critical in shaping the company’s culture, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and establishing collaborative and productive relationships with union leadership‑management partnership development.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience operating in heavily unionized environments, including negotiating contracts, administering collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances, and coaching leaders on union related matters‑related matters.

Responsibilities

Labor Relations & Union Negotiations

• Lead all labor relations strategies and serve as the primary liaison between management and union representatives.
• Prepare for, lead, and support collective bargaining negotiations, including contract strategy development, proposals, costing, communications, and execution.
• Interpret and administer the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and provide guidance to the General Manager and leadership team.
• Manage all grievance and arbitration processes, including investigations, documentation, and representation during hearings.
• Ensure consistent application of the CBA across the organization.
• Build effective, trust-based relationships with union leadership to support productive, collaborative operations.

HR Leadership & Organizational Development

• Establish foundational HR policies, processes, and structure for a newly formed unionized company.
• Partner with the GM and senior leaders to align people strategies with business objectives.
• Advise leaders on disciplinary matters, performance management, coaching, and conflict resolution.
• Drive workforce planning, staffing, onboarding, and development programs.
• Create and implement employee communication strategies that support transparency and engagement.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with federal and state labor laws, including NLRB rules, FLSA, OSHA, and any industry specific requirements‑specific requirements.
• Conduct investigations into workplace issues ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
• Maintain accurate documentation related to employee relations, grievances, and labor activities.

Culture & Employee Engagement

• Support the leadership team in establishing a fair, consistent, safety focused, high-performance culture‑focused, high‑performance culture.
• Proactively identify employee morale trends and recommend actions to improve workplace climate.
• Lead initiatives that promote positive union management relations and employee trust‑management relations and employee trust.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant responsibility for labor relations in a unionized environment.
• Direct experience leading or co‑leading collective bargaining negotiations.
• Strong knowledge of labor law, grievance procedures, arbitration processes, and union contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with operational leaders, particularly at the plant, facility, or field level.
• Experience building or stabilizing HR functions during periods of organizational change.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Labor Relations, HR, or related field.
• Experience in start‑up or newly unionized environments.
• Certifications (SHRM‑CP/SCP, SPHR, or CLRP).
• Experience partnering directly with a General Manager or senior operations leader

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 $178,000 - $204,000 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.