Senior Process Controls Engineer
Oklo Inc. · San Francisco Bay Area
📍 Santa Clara, CA or Remote💰 $85,000-175,000via greenhousePosted 2026-04-10
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Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Senior Process Controls Engineer for our recycling engineering team.
Position Description:
The person in this role will be responsible for designing, implementing, troubleshooting, scaling, and monitoring various process control systems for the Oklo fuel recycling facility. Some subsystems may include off-gas separation, and waste immobilization. It will include collaboration with cross-functional teams including those with a focus on facility design, unit process equipment design, and licensing.
This position could alternatively be fulfilled by someone with experience and/or education in instrumentation and controls, electrical, chemical, or process engineering.
Specific responsibilities may include:
Develop systems that meet facility and regulatory requirements
Develop and document overall control philosophy – define key control variables, setpoints, and rationale to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient process operations
Prepare and review control system documentation – including instrument loop drawings, logic drawings, cause-and-effect matrices, and interlock schemes
Define and manage control and alarm strategies – establish alarm priorities, setpoints, and functional descriptions to support operator awareness and system safety
Design and specify control system architecture – covering hardware, software, and network requirements for distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and human-machine interface (HMI) applications
Generate technical documentation to be included in regulatory filings
Competencies:
We are looking for a Senior Process Controls Engineer that is:
Motivated by building, and getting technology deployed
Energized by tackling and overcoming challenges
Passionate about clean energy, and making advanced fission a reality
Willing and able to learn quickly
Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly-iterative startup environment
Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before
Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
Able to communicate technical content and results verbally
An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
Minimum Qualifications:
Degree in Chemical or Electrical Engineering or similar
10+ years of experience in process controls engineering or similar field
Bonus Qua lifications:
Experience with nuclear fuel cycle and/or high-temperature/-corrosion facilities and operations
Experience with control narratives/philosophies, piping and instrumentation diagrams, interlock lists, instrument specifications, and instrument set points
Experience designing, managing, commissioning, and operating DCS, PLC, alarm, safety, and HMI systems
Experience leading or serving as a subject matter expert in process hazard analysis studies
Experience deploying or working on first-of-a-kind or pilot plants
Commercial or governmental nuclear industry experience
Who you are:
A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.
Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.
A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.
An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.
Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.
Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Even excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.
About Oklo travel requirements:
Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.
About Oklo compensation: $85,000-175,000
Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.
We are looking to fill this position immediately!
About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license ap
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