Senior Vice President - Fission Technology
On-siteEverett, Washington, United States
Job Summary
Define and own the fission technology roadmap, aligned with Zap Energy's commercial strategy and long-term fusion mission. Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, contributing to company-wide strategy, resource allocation, and organizational decisions. Lead all phases of advanced reactor development, including design, prototype development, NRC licensing, manufacturing readiness, and initial deployment. Represent Zap Energy in high-stakes external engagements with the NRC, DOE, utility customers, defense partners, and investors. Build and manage the fission technology P&L, including budget ownership, headcount planning, and milestone-based execution. Recruit, develop, and retain a large multidisciplinary engineering organization spanning reactor physics, thermal hydraulics, and structural mechanics. Establish rigorous systems engineering and nuclear quality assurance (NQA-1) practices across the fission program. Drive design-for-manufacturability principles early in the development cycle to ensure cost-competitive, licensable, and buildable reactor designs. Identify and manage supply chain and manufacturing partnerships to establish the industrial base required for scalable advanced reactor production.
Required Qualifications
- 15+ years of progressively senior experience in nuclear engineering
- strong technical foundation in reactor design
- nuclear safety analysis
- or related disciplines
- Demonstrated experience taking a nuclear system or major subsystem from design concept through licensed operation or commercial production
- not just development
- Deep familiarity with the U.S. NRC regulatory framework
- including 10 CFR Parts 50 and 52
- the licensing process for advanced and small modular reactors
- and safety basis development
- Proven track record building and leading large (50+) multidisciplinary engineering teams
- in a nuclear or highly regulated environment
- Experience with nuclear quality assurance programs (NQA-1)
- and nuclear codes and standards (ASME Section III, IEEE, ANS)
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in nuclear engineering
- mechanical engineering
- or a closely related field
- U.S. citizenship
- or ability to obtain required security clearances and access authorizations
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with non-light-water reactor technologies
- including liquid metal-cooled, gas-cooled, or molten salt designs
- and the associated licensing challenges
- Prior P&L or business unit leadership responsibility
- including budget ownership at the $50M+ level
- Experience engaging with the NRC at senior levels on novel or first-of-a-kind reactor concepts
- Familiarity with advanced manufacturing approaches for nuclear components
- including digital twins, additive manufacturing, or advanced quality inspection techniques
- Experience in a venture-backed, high-growth technology company or startup environment
- alongside traditional nuclear industry experience
- Active relationships with DOE national laboratories
- university nuclear programs, or advanced reactor consortia
- Experience with international nuclear regulatory frameworks
- e.g., CNSC, ONR, or IAEA guidelines
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