Senior Control Room Operator

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a Senior Control Room Operator to support the commissioning and operation of the Engineering Test Unit (ETU) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This role is a key control room leadership position responsible for safe, compliant, and efficient operation during test and commissioning activities. Upon successful completion of the ETU project, this position will relocate to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the individual will enter the licensed operator training program and transition into operations of the Hermes reactor, Kairos Power’s fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor demonstration. This role is ideal for an experienced nuclear operator who thrives in first-of-a-kind facilities, commissioning environments, and evolving operational frameworks.

Responsibilities

Procedure Writing:

• Develop and maintain comprehensive operating procedures, control room manuals, and emergency response protocols.
• Review and update technical documentation to reflect changes in plant design, control strategies, and operational practices.
• Ensure all procedures meet regulatory, safety, and operational standards and are accessible and understandable for all operations personnel.

Plant Commissioning:

• Participate actively in pre-commissioning and commissioning activities, including system walk-downs, loop checks, function testing, and validation of control systems.
• Coordinate with engineering, construction, and vendor teams to ensure proper integration and functionality of control systems

Plant Operations: 

• Follows policies, principles, procedures, standards, and practices to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of plant areas.
• Operates and field checks process equipment. Monitors process conditions, key performance metrics, equipment and control systems and makes appropriate decisions to maintain and/or achieve desired rates and conditions aligned with Kairos’s goals.
• Performs scheduled operational and related tasks and tasks that arise because of resolving unplanned events.
• Works with shift team members and other shift teams to leverage skills and knowledge to balance workload ensuring assigned tasks are completed by due dates.
• Conducts effective shift relief, as defined in facility specific operating discipline and tools, to ensure effective communication and handoff to arriving shift team.
• Maintains qualification in assigned areas, per Kairos’s policy, and completes training goals in a timely manner. This includes using discretionary time to address skills and knowledge gaps.
• Mentors and trains new and existing operations personnel on process operation, troubleshooting and the use of operating discipline in alignment to Kairos’s training process.
• Performs Immediate Response activities, as assigned.
• Initiates and documents preliminary investigations according to plant specific process/criteria and participates in formal and informal Root Cause Investigations for events involved in or by request.
• Tracks and utilizes the plant's key performance Indicators on shift that are applicable to the Operating the Plant role to optimize operations and identify improvement opportunities. Uses process knowledge and skills to make improvements in plant performance and operating discipline. Proactively identifies improvements and opportunities utilizing the facility improvement processes, appropriate management of change processes and communication tools.
• Performs minor Maintenance, including minor repairs and preventative maintenance, utilizing appropriate policies, procedures, processes, and disciplines.
• Commissions, and operate mechanical and electrical equipment.
• Prepares, reviews, and executes system and component level commissioning, and operating procedures.
• Performs acceptance testing following new equipment installation including hydrostatic, pneumatic, I/O checks, and electrical component calibrations checks.
• Supports day-to-day operations of the assigned facility including startup, monitor, and shutdown processes and auxiliary equipment.
• Performs chemistry sampling and analysis using standardized analytical instruments and procedures.
• Performs equipment troubleshooting as necessary