How to apply for Director of Manufacturing Strategy

About Oklo

Oklo is a nuclear technology company developing next-generation fast fission reactors and nuclear waste recycling. The company's stated goal is to deliver clean, reliable, affordable energy. This role offers a chance to shape manufacturing strategy for first-of-a-kind nuclear hardware, which is rare in the industry.

About the role

The Director of Manufacturing Strategy defines how Oklo turns product and deployment plans into an executable manufacturing system. You will work with Responsible Engineers and suppliers on component-level manufacturing strategies during the first-of-a-kind build. You will also produce make-vs-buy recommendations and manufacturing roadmaps that affect lead time, cost, quality, and scalability.

A typical day

A typical day may include working with Responsible Engineers on a component-level manufacturing issue, reviewing supplier process capability data, and building or updating a make-vs-buy recommendation. You might also meet with Procurement, Quality, or Program Management to align on manufacturing roadmaps. Ask Oklo during interviews how the team structures its weeks and how often you would travel to suppliers or build sites.

Who Oklo is looking for

• Has enough manufacturing depth to evaluate processes, tooling, qualification needs, quality controls, production constraints, and recovery plans.
• Has enough commercial fluency to compare market options and support scenario modeling.
• Has experience working directly with suppliers and engineers on industrialization challenges during a first-of-a-kind build.
• Can partner with Engineering, Procurement, Strategy, Quality, Program Management, and internal fabrication leadership to align manufacturing strategy across functions.

Tips for this application

• Name specific manufacturing processes, tooling decisions, or supplier qualification efforts you have led, especially for hardware with tight tolerances or regulated quality requirements.
• Describe a time you assessed whether a supplier could produce conforming hardware at the required rate, and what you recommended.
• Show how you have built or refined a make-vs-buy framework, not just executed one.
• Connect your experience to nuclear or other highly regulated, first-of-a-kind hardware environments, or explain how your background transfers.
• Reference Oklo's fast fission technology and recycling work in your materials to show you understand the product context, not just the role.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain how you have translated engineering and commercial inputs into manufacturing strategy. Give one concrete example of a component-level manufacturing decision you influenced. Describe your approach to make-vs-buy recommendations. State why you want to work on first-of-a-kind nuclear hardware at Oklo specifically.

Research before applying

• Oklo's fast fission reactor design and its nuclear waste recycling technology, including any public technical documents or licensing updates.
• Oklo's first-of-a-kind build status and any announced deployment or site plans.
• Oklo's supply chain and manufacturing partners, if publicly disclosed, and the nuclear-grade manufacturing landscape.
• The Head of Supply Chain and other leaders you would work with, to understand how this role fits into the organization.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would structure a make-vs-buy analysis for a critical reactor component with limited supplier options.
• A time you found that a supplier process could not meet rate or quality requirements, and how you responded.
• How you integrate engineering judgment, supplier-market intelligence, and commercial inputs into a manufacturing roadmap.
• How you would work with Responsible Engineers during a first-of-a-kind build to resolve industrialization challenges.
• What manufacturing scalability risks you see for fast fission reactor deployment and how you would address them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying with only high-level strategy experience and no evidence of hands-on manufacturing or supplier process evaluation.
• Applying with only manufacturing execution experience and no evidence of commercial or scenario modeling work.
• Treating this as a generic supply chain role and ignoring the nuclear, first-of-a-kind, and regulated hardware context.