VP, Engineering

JOB SUMMARY/PURPOSE

Deep Fission is seeking a VP of Engineering to build and lead the technical organization responsible for taking our borehole reactor design from concept to repeatable commercial deployment. Deep Fission's Gravity Nuclear Reactor combines established pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology with deep borehole drilling and geothermal-style heat transfer, deployed a mile underground to reduce surface infrastructure and support faster commercialization timelines.

This role owns engineering execution across the nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) and surface power conversion, including reactor and mechanical design, nuclear analysis, instrumentation and controls (I&C), and surface support systems. The position will partner closely with our regulatory team on design basis and licensing content for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The VP will also work closely with our drilling and completions team, which owns the borehole, and the two will jointly own the reactor to borehole interface. This is a build role, so we are looking for someone who can create structure as much as run it.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Organizational Leadership

• Build, staff, and lead the Engineering organization, hiring and directly managing Directors across reactor and mechanical design, nuclear analysis, I&C, surface power conversion, and surface support systems.
• Establish engineering processes, configuration management, and design change control that scale with the company as it moves from concept to fleet deployment.
• Report engineering status, risk, and resourcing needs to the executive team on a regular cadence so leadership can make timely decisions.
• Model and foster a strong nuclear safety culture across the engineering organization, including a questioning attitude and open reporting of concerns.

Engineering Execution & Delivery

• Provide engineering input to the integrated schedule, budget, and risk register owned by Project Management, and hold the engineering team accountable for delivering to them for the demonstration reactor and subsequent commercial units.
• Translate reactor design basis and safety requirements into engineering packages that are manufacturable and constructible.
• Drive phased validation of the system's most differentiated elements, including subsurface deployment and reactor control.

Regulatory & Quality Partnership

• Partner with Regulatory Affairs leadership on engineering inputs to NRC licensing submissions.
• Align engineering deliverables with nuclear and commercial quality requirements, as applicable, so designs are ready for licensing and fabrication.

Vendor & Program Management

• Manage technical relationships with engineering vendors, provide engineering oversight of fabrication, and provide technical input to Supply Chain on make or buy decisions for major subsystems.
• Represent Engineering in technical discussions with customers, DOE, NRC, and site partners as needed, so technical positions are communicated consistently.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum education required of the position:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, nuclear, or electrical engineering, or a related field.
  • Preferred: Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant engineering discipline.

Minimum experience required of the position:

• 15+ years of engineering experience, including 8+ years in leadership roles and 5+ years managing multi-discipline engineering teams at the Director level or above.
  • Preferred: Commercial or private-sector experience, ideally in a high-growth or newly public company.
• Direct experience in power plant design or another complex, regulated hardware environment, such as aerospace, submarines, or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• A track record of building an engineering function.

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the position:

• Working knowledge of nuclear and commercial quality assurance frameworks and NRC licensing processes.
• Strong grounding in design for manufacturability and constructability of nuclear or comparably regulated hardware.
  • Preferred:
    • Experience with PWR or small modular reactor (SMR) designs.
    • Experience with geothermal systems or oil and gas subsurface engineering.

Requirements for all positions:

• Must be a U.S. person eligible to meet Department of Energy (DOE) Export Control requirements under 10 CFR 810.
• Ability to work independently in a remote-first, cross-functional environment and partner effectively with senior stakeholders across the organization.
• Willingness to travel domestically for team offsites, training sessions, and site visits as required, with quarterly travel anticipated for company offsites.

ANY CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, ETC. REQUIRED FOR THE POSITION

• None required
  • Preferred: Professional Engineer (PE) license.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to operate a personal computer, either desktop or laptop.
• Able to sit for extended periods of time.
• Able to travel domestically, as required.
• Able to exert up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or a minimal amount of force frequently, to lift, carry, push, or otherwise move objects.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the accountabilities and essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned, within your scope of responsibilities.
• Job duties take place primarily in a remote work environment, with regular travel to engineering, drilling, and site partner locations, up to 20% anticipated.
• The role involves a mix of standing, sitting, and site-based work, including site visits that may require navigating active construction and drilling environments.
• The role requires the ability to comprehend, document, calculate, visualize, and analyze information.
• The role may require regular hours, with occasional overtime.