How to apply for External Hazards Regulatory Engineer

About Oklo

Oklo is developing next-generation fast fission technology and recycling nuclear waste to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy. The company is working on advanced reactor designs and needs regulatory engineers who can navigate the NRC framework for external hazards.

About the role

This role owns the licensing strategy for external hazards such as seismic, flooding, and man-made events. You will define scopes of work, manage external contractors, integrate hazard assessments into the design basis, and track NRC regulations like 10 CFR Part 100 and relevant Regulatory Guides and NUREGs. The work directly affects whether Oklo's reactor designs can be licensed and deployed.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing a contractor's seismic analysis proposal, updating a regulatory strategy document for an NRC submittal, and meeting with internal engineering teams to integrate flooding or meteorological assessments into the design basis. You would also track recent NRC regulatory changes and assess their impact on Oklo's licensing approach.

Who Oklo is looking for

• Has direct experience with NRC regulations and technical analysis for external hazards (seismic, flooding, meteorological, man-made) at nuclear facilities.
• Can define scopes of work, review technical proposals, and manage external contracting firms performing hazard analyses.
• Understands how to integrate external hazard assessments into overall licensing strategy and design-basis evaluations.
• Tracks changes in NRC regulations (10 CFR Part 100, Regulatory Guides, NUREGs) and evaluates their impact on compliance strategy.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific NRC regulations you have worked with, such as 10 CFR Part 100, and name the Regulatory Guides or NUREGs you have applied.
• Describe your experience managing external contractors or internal engineering teams on hazard analyses, including how you defined scopes and reviewed proposals.
• Give examples of how you identified safety challenges from external hazards early in a project and recommended mitigation or design changes.
• Mention any experience writing regulatory strategy documents, white papers, or briefing materials for licensing submittals.
• If you have worked on advanced reactor licensing or non-light-water designs, state that clearly because Oklo uses fast fission technology.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain your hands-on experience with NRC external hazard regulations and technical analyses. Describe a specific project where you developed or supported a licensing strategy for seismic, flooding, or man-made hazards. Show how you managed contractors or internal teams to deliver hazard analyses on schedule. State why you want to work on advanced fast fission reactors and nuclear waste recycling at Oklo.

Research before applying

• Read Oklo's public materials on its fast fission technology and nuclear waste recycling approach to understand the technical basis for licensing.
• Review recent NRC documents, Regulatory Guides, and NUREGs related to external hazards for advanced reactors, including any Oklo pre-application or licensing interactions.
• Look up 10 CFR Part 100 and related NRC guidance on seismic, flooding, and man-made hazards to refresh your knowledge before applying.
• Check Oklo's careers page and recent news to see if they have announced specific licensing milestones or reactor deployment timelines.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through your experience with 10 CFR Part 100 and how you applied it to a specific external hazard analysis.
• How do you define scopes of work for external hazard analyses and review technical proposals from contracting firms?
• Describe a time you identified an external hazard safety challenge early in a project and recommended a mitigation or design modification.
• How do you track changes in NRC regulations and evaluate their impact on an existing licensing strategy?
• What is your approach to integrating seismic, flooding, and meteorological assessments into an overall design-basis evaluation for an advanced reactor?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic resume that does not name specific NRC regulations, Regulatory Guides, or NUREGs you have worked with.
• Claiming experience with external hazards without giving concrete examples of analyses you performed or managed.
• Ignoring Oklo's focus on fast fission and nuclear waste recycling, which shows you have not researched the company's technology.