Senior Operations Specialist, Salt Production Facility

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 highly motivated Senior Operations Specialist to serve as a senior technical resource within the Operations organization supporting plant design, construction, commissioning, startup, and transition to routine operations. The Senior Operations Specialist will provide experienced operational judgment throughout the project lifecycle, helping ensure plant systems and equipment can be safely, reliably, and effectively operated, commissioned, isolated, maintained, and turned over to Operations. This position will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, and project teams to identify and resolve operability concerns early and to develop practical solutions that support successful plant startup and long-term operation. The successful candidate will bring significant hands-on experience with complex industrial facilities and will be comfortable working both in an engineering environment and directly in the field. This individual will provide technical leadership during construction and commissioning activities, support development of operating and commissioning procedures, and serve as an experienced Operations representative during design reviews, equipment acceptance, system turnover, and operational readiness activities. Responsibilities Serve as the Operations group’s technical specialist for plant design, construction, commissioning, and startup, providing experienced operational judgment from engineering design through turnover to routine plant operations. Review engineering designs for operability and commissioning readiness, including Utility system, Piping and valve arrangements, Equipment layouts and accessibility, Isolation strategies, and Control strategies and system interfaces. Identify plant designs that may be difficult or unsafe to operate, commission, isolate, or maintain, and work collaboratively with Engineering to develop practical alternatives. Recommend improvements to equipment arrangement, routing, valving, accessibility, and other design features that affect safe and reliable plant operation. Represent Operations during equipment fabrication, construction, installation, testing, and acceptance activities. Participate in field verification and validation of operating and commissioning procedures, system configurations, and design assumptions before turnover to Operations. Capture and incorporate commissioning, startup, and operating lessons learned into procedures, design improvements, and future project activities. Support verification that required operating procedures, technical documentation, drawings, and system information are available and suitable for turnover to Operations. Participate in and support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), equipment receipt planning, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and field inspections. Independently identify, document, communicate, and drive resolution of construction and installation deficiencies that could affect safe or reliable operation, and work with appropriate stakeholders to support their resolution, including Flange integrity and torquing, Bolting and mounting, Fixed-equipment installation, Equipment accessibility, Piping, valve, and component configuration. Develop and coordinate Operations input to plant commissioning and startup plans and execution packages. Support development and integration of commissioning and startup schedules, including system turnover, sequencing, testing, and operational readiness activities. Define and coordinate commissioning activities such as Pressure testing, Water or other safe-material testing, System flushing and preparation, Equipment checkout, and System turnover and acceptance. Identify and support the procurement of temporary equipment, materials, and tools required for commissioning and startup, including generators, air compressors, temporary hoses, gaskets, tanks, pumps, and specialty tools. Provide technical guidance and hands-on field guidance during commissioning and startup activities. Troubleshoot plant, equipment, construction, and commissioning issues and develop practical solutions in collaborati