Director, Product Engineering

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values— Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity —guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

We are looking for a Director of Product Engineering to lead the design, development, and deployment of our Nuclear Operating System (NOS) modules and applications. This is a senior leadership role, reporting into our Head of NOS. We are looking for a builder and systems thinker who thrives at the intersection of complex hardware, emerging technology, and mission-critical software.

You will work hand-in-hand with business line stakeholders across the organization to translate operational needs into world-class engineering deliverables — spanning desktop apps, mobile apps, XR/VR interfaces, drone systems, biometrics, digital twins, IoT/OT integration, and more. You'll own the full product engineering lifecycle, from architecture and development through testing, deployment, and iteration in regulated environments.

This role requires equal parts technical depth, product intuition, and organizational leadership. You will manage and grow a multidisciplinary engineering team while maintaining close partnership with business stakeholders, operations leaders, and external vendors.

Responsibilities

Product Engineering Leadership

Own the end-to-end build and deployment of NOS modules and applications across the company's portfolio of technology domains

Partner directly with business line stakeholders to define requirements, prioritize roadmaps, and deliver high-quality products on aggressive timelines

Establish and enforce engineering standards, development practices, and quality frameworks across the product engineering organization

Drive architectural decisions across mobile, embedded, IoT/OT, and cloud-connected systems with a strong bias for modularity and scalability

Technology Domain Ownership

Lead engineering across a broad suite of technology domains including:

Desktop Applications — corporate, project management, and operations & maintenance tools for planning and scheduling.

Mobile Applications — native and cross-platform apps for field and operational use

XR/VR — immersive interfaces for training, simulation, remote inspection, and situational awareness

Drones & Robotics — integration of autonomous aerial and ground systems for inspection, monitoring, and data collection

Cameras & Computer Vision — real-time imaging, analytics, and monitoring systems

Biometrics — identity verification, access control, and safety systems

Digital Twin — real-time and predictive virtual representations of physical plant systems

IoT & OT Integration — sensor networks, SCADA interfaces, and operational technology connectivity

Product & Platform — NOS core modules, APIs, and developer tooling

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Partnership

Serve as the primary engineering liaison to business line owners, translating operational and regulatory requirements into technical solutions

Work closely with product managers, UX designers, data engineers, and safety/compliance teams

Communicate clearly and confidently with executive leadership on engineering progress, risk, and capacity

Team Building & Culture

Hire, develop, and retain a world-class product engineering team across disciplines

Build a culture of ownership, velocity, and technical rigor

Define career paths and development frameworks for engineers at all levels

Experience

10+ years of engineering experience with at least 4 years in a senior engineering leadership role

Demonstrated experience shipping production software across multiple domains — mobile, IoT/OT, embedded systems, or hardware-integrated platforms

Experience working in or with regulated industries (nuclear, aerospace, defense, energy, industrial, medical) strongly preferred

Proven track record of building and scaling engineering teams from early-stage to growth-stage

Technical Skills

Strong architectural intuition across distributed systems, real-time data pipelines, and edge computing

Hands-on familiarity with IoT/OT protocols (MQTT, OPC-UA, Modbus, etc.) and industrial system integration

Working knowledge of mobile development (iOS/Android, React Native, Flutter, or equivalent)

Exposure to XR/VR development (Unity, Unreal, WebXR) and spatial computing platforms

Experience with digital twin platforms or simulation environments

Comfortable with drone system integration, computer vision pipelines, or biometric platforms — bonus if you've shipped in more than one of these

Fluency in cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and DevSecOps practices

Leadership & Soft Skills

Exceptional communicator — able to engage equally well with field operators, engineers, and C-suite executives

Strong business acumen; you understand how engineering decisions affect cost, schedule, and safety outcomes

High tolerance for ambiguity and a bias for action in fast-moving environments

A genuine interest in nuclear energy, energy infrastructure, or hard-tech industries

Benefits

Competitive compensation packages

401k with company match

Medical, dental, vision plans

Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range The estimated starting salary range for this role is $198,000 - $228,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company’s discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role.

EEO Statement The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.

Export Control Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.

Recruiting Fraud Alert Your safety is our priority. We want to ensure your job search stays secure. Please note that the team at The Nuclear Company only communicates through official @thenuclearcompany.com email addresses. We will never ask for payments or sensitive financial information at any stage of our recruitment process. For your peace of mind, please verify all openings and submit your applications directly through our official careers page .