Head of AI Strategy and Operations

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Head of AI Strategy and Operations to join our team. 

Position Description

Oklo is seeking a Head of AI Strategy & Operations to help drive the company’s adoption and integration of AI across core business functions. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, operations, technology, and execution, supporting initiatives across engineering, licensing, legal, operations, and commercial teams.

As AI rapidly transforms both energy demand and how complex systems are designed and operated, this role will help translate emerging AI capabilities into practical operational improvements across Oklo’s business. You will work closely with leadership and cross-functional teams to identify high-impact opportunities, implement AI-enabled workflows, and improve how the company designs, licenses, builds, and operates advanced nuclear systems.

This role is designed for a highly execution-oriented operator who can navigate ambiguity, create structure without unnecessary process, and drive measurable outcomes across a wide range of initiatives.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Lead high-priority AI strategy and operations initiatives across Oklo’s business areas
• Translate AI capabilities into actionable execution plans, including defining use cases, owners, timelines, risks, and measurable outcomes
• Drive internal AI adoption across engineering, licensing, legal, operations, and corporate workflows
• Build lightweight systems and processes to track AI initiatives, adoption metrics, operational improvements, and execution progress
• Identify operational bottlenecks and opportunities where AI can improve efficiency, cycle times, quality, or decision-making
• Partner with technical teams to evaluate and integrate AI into plant design, monitoring, optimization, and deployment workflows
• Support relationships with AI and enterprise technology partners, including helping structure collaborations and align internal priorities
• Prepare materials and recommendations for executive leadership related to AI strategy, capabilities, and investment priorities
• Establish practical standards and best practices for AI tool usage across teams
• Help build repeatable systems for evaluating and integrating emerging technologies into Oklo’s operations

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5–12 years of experience in strategy, operations, product, consulting, or similar cross-functional roles
• Demonstrated experience driving initiatives from concept through execution in fast-moving environments
• Experience identifying and implementing operational improvements or process efficiencies
• Strong project management instincts, including managing timelines, owners, dependencies, and risks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing executive-level materials
• Strong judgment and ability to prioritize high-impact opportunities
• Ability to operate independently with high ownership in ambiguous environments
• Comfortable working across both technical and non-technical teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with AI/ML tools, workflows, or systems in a professional setting
• Technical background in engineering, computer science, physics, or related fields (or equivalent hands-on experience)
• Experience partnering closely with engineering or technical product teams
• Familiarity with modern AI systems, data pipelines, or software tooling environments
• Experience in energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, or other regulated industries
• Experience supporting partnerships with enterprise technology companies
• Experience in a startup or scaling organization

Competencies

We are looking for a Head of AI Strategy and Operations that is:

• Structured and analytical, with the ability to break ambiguous opportunities into actionable workstreams
• Execution-oriented with strong ownership and follow-through
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and managing evolving priorities
• Low ego, highly collaborative, and team-oriented
• Strong communicator who can translate complex technical concepts into clear operational plans
• Practical and creative, focused on identifying real-world AI applications with measurable impact
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities across teams
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment

Why this role matters:

AI is increasing global demand for reliable power while also transforming how complex systems are designed and operated. This role helps ensure Oklo effectively applies AI internally and across its technology stack to improve performance, efficiency, scalability, and decision-making.

You will help shape how Oklo integrates emerging AI capabilities into the deployment of next-generation nuclear technology and build systems that improve how the company operates at scale.

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation: $220,000-$280,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.

Candidates should be aware that employment may be contingent upon successful completion of a drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing at any time in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.

Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer

Oklo is aware of recent recruitment fraud attempts targeting job seekers. Please be cautious of anyone claiming to represent Oklo who does not contact you from an official Oklo email address.

All legitimate communications from our recruiting team— including application updates, interview requests, and job offers — will come exclusively from an @oklo.com email. Oklo will never ask for sensitive personal information, payments, or account credentials during the hiring process.

If you receive suspicious outreach or have concerns about the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from Oklo, please contact us through the official channels listed on our website.