---
title: 'Senior Manager, Commercial Development at Kairos Power'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-commercial-development-kairos-power-alameda-v22nh077a10f'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Senior Manager, Commercial Development at Kairos Power

- **Company:** Kairos Power
- **Location:** Alameda, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-10
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/kairospower/jobs/6100734004

## Job description

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a Senior Manager, Commercial Development reporting to the Vice President of Commercial & Corporate Development (VP). This is a strategic and hands-on role designed to increase the effectiveness of the Vice President of Commercial & Corporate Development and commercial leadership team.

The Senior Manager, Commercial Development will work across business and engineering functions to drive alignment, improve productivity, and streamline execution of strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate has experience operating within complex technical organizations, with proven success in executive-level support, strategic program development, cross-functional leadership, and organizational execution.

## Responsibilities

- Act as an extension of the Vice President of Commercial & Corporate Development to drive execution of strategic priorities and key business initiatives.
- Provide leadership and coordination across commercial engineering, operations, and corporate functions to ensure alignment with business objectives.
- Drive successful execution of strategic programs in alignment with company objectives, including follow-through and accountability across stakeholders.
- Facilitate effective decision-making for the VP of Business Development & Finance and commercial leadership team by managing meeting preparation, synthesizing complex information, identifying key risks and opportunities, and providing actionable recommendations.
- Manage and coordinate internal and external inquiries directed to the VP of BD & Finance, and recommend appropriate course of action and coordinating responses with stakeholders
- Serve as liaison between the VP, commercial leadership, cross-functional leaders, and external partners to ensure organizational alignment and timely execution of priorities.
- Oversee the rhythm of business for commercial organization, including leadership meetings, communications, operating reviews, action tracking, and cross-functional planning processes.
- Lead or coordinate special projects, strategic initiatives, and high-priority assignments from conception through implementation and achievement of business objectives.
- Develop clear, concise executive communications, presentations, reports, dashboard, and decision-support materials for senior leadership.
- Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness, business processes, communication flows, and operational execution.
- Drive accountability for strategic initiatives by establishing milestones, tracking deliverables, monitoring performance metrics, and escalating risks as needed to ensure successful execution.
- Partner with functional leaders to prioritize resources, align organizational efforts, and deliver results against annual operating plans and company goals.
- Other duties as assigned.

## Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or similar field; advanced degree (MBA, MS in Engineering/Technology Management) is preferred
- 10+ years of progressive experience in business operations, program management, strategic planning, management consulting, commercial operations, engineering management, or related leadership functions
- 5+ years of experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and driving execution of strategic business objectives.
- Experience in strategy, commercial development, and/or energy/manufacturing sectors is preferred
- Experience working on strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital projects is a plus
- Demonstrated experience working directly with executive leadership and influencing decisions at the senior leadership level.
- Proven track record of translating strategic priorities into executable plans and delivering measurable business outcomes.
- Experience leading organizational change, business transformation, operational improvement or enterprise-level initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and align diverse stakeholder groups without direct reporting authority.
- Strong financial and business acumen, including experience evaluating tradeoffs, prioritizing investments, and supporting strategic decision-making.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Advanced knowledge of business operations, strategic planning, program management, and organizational effectiveness principles.
- Ability to translate strategic concepts and objectives into executable plans, driving accountability, and deliver measurable business results
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence, align, and coordinate cross-functional teams toward common objectives.
- Exceptional project and program management capabilities, including planning, prioritization, risk management, and execution oversight.
- Ability to analyze complex business, financial, operational, and technical information and provide actionable recommendations
- Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders, external stakeholders, and technical teams.
- Excellent written communication skills with experience preparing executive presentations, reports, business cases, and strategic communication
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively across multiple functions and levels of the organizations
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and achievement of business objectives.
- Ability to exercise sound judgement, maintain confidentiality, and operate effectively in highly dynamic and ambiguous environments.

Physical Demands

- Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
- Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
- Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 10 pounds in all directions
- Communicating with others to exchange information

Environmental Conditions

- General office environment
- Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
- High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced
- Manufacturing/Industrial Environments, occasionally

Travel

- Travel required, up to 20%

Additional Requirements

- Seldomly requires working weekends
- Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
- Occasionally requires non-standard work-week hours
- Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $201,272 to $251,590 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

#LI-Onsite

## About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

- Competitive compensation packages
- Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
- Paid Vacation
- 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810

## About Kairos Power

## Company Overview

- **One-liner**: Kairos Power is developing fluoride salt–cooled high‑temperature reactors (KP‑FHR) to deliver safe, affordable, and reliable clean energy at commercial scale.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture‑backed startup)
- **Headquarters**: Alameda, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Mike Laufer (CEO, Co‑Founder) and Edward Blandford (CTO, Co‑Founder) [kairospower.com/about](https://www.kairospower.com/about)

## Core Business

- **Primary industries**: Advanced nuclear energy, clean‑energy technology, vertical manufacturing.
- **Target customers**: B2B – utilities (e.g., TVA), large‑scale energy buyers (e.g., Google), power generators, grid operators.
- **Mission / purpose**: “To deliver reliable, affordable energy at scale” while combating climate change by reimagining the entire energy system. [kairospower.com](https://www.kairospower.com/)

## Products & Services

- **KP‑FHR (fluoride salt–cooled high‑temperature reactor)**: The core technology – a next‑generation nuclear reactor that uses molten‑salt coolant and TRISO‑based pebble fuel. It is designed for competitive baseload power without carbon emissions.
- **Hermes Demonstration Reactors**:
  - **Hermes 1**: The first non‑water‑cooled reactor to receive an NRC construction permit. Now under construction in Oak Ridge, TN.
  - **Hermes 2**: A commercial‑scale demonstration plant that will supply electricity to the grid.
- **In‑house manufacturing**: Kairos Power builds reactor components, fuel, molten salt, and plant equipment internally to control quality, cost, and schedule. Facilities in Albuquerque, NM produce modular systems and perform salt production, TRISO fuel and pebble fabrication.
- **Engineering Test Units (ETU)**: Iterative non‑nuclear test rigs (ETU 2, ETU 3) used to validate systems, reduce risk, and fine‑tune technology before nuclear operation.

## Market Standing

- **Valuation**: Not publicly available in provided sources.
- **Key metric**: **Headcount >500** (as of 2025/2026); **Total funding** – not disclosed in provided sources.
- **Notable investors & partners**: Google (world’s first corporate agreement for multiple advanced reactor deployments – up to 500 MW by 2035), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), KP‑OMADA alliance (North American nuclear utilities and generating companies). [kairospower.com/our-approach](https://www.kairospower.com/our-approach)
- **Growth signals**:
  - First nuclear company ever named a **BloombergNEF Pioneer**.
  - Recognized **six times as a Forbes Best Startup Employer**.
  - Hermes 1 construction permit granted – a regulatory milestone.
  - Expansion of manufacturing capabilities in Albuquerque and reactor campus in Oak Ridge.
  - Active partnerships with leading U.S. utilities and tech companies.

## Competitive Advantages

- **Vertical integration**: Unifies engineering, manufacturing, testing, and licensing in‑house – reduces supply‑chain risk and accelerates deployment.
- **Iterative development model (“test‑to‑learn”)**: Build, test, iterate with thousands of hours of operational data; progressively de‑risks nuclear construction, fuel supply, and operations.
- **Proactive regulatory engagement**: First non‑water‑cooled reactor to secure an NRC construction permit, de‑risking the licensing path for future units.
- **Strong commercial partnerships**: Google and major utilities provide both credibility and a clear off‑take pathway for commercial fleets.
- **Technology differentiator**: Fluoride salt cooling enables lower pressure, inherent safety, and efficient heat transfer, making the reactor cost‑competitive with natural gas.

## Strategic Focus

- **Commercial deployment**: Targeting grid‑connected operation of Hermes 2 and a fleet of up to 500 MW by 2035 (via Google agreement).
- **Scaling manufacturing**: Expanding the Albuquerque Manufacturing Development Campus to produce reactor components at volume.
- **Supply chain & fuel qualification**: In‑house fuel fabrication (TRISO pebbles) and salt production to ensure cost and schedule certainty.
- **Alliance building**: Growing the KP‑OMADA alliance to standardize technology deployment across multiple utilities.

## Why Work Here

- **Culture & recognition**: Six‑time Forbes Best Startup Employer. Employee‑led committees (Women of Kairos Power, Environmental Stewards, Culture Committee, Developing Professionals) shape a collaborative, inclusive environment. “One Kairos” program champions belonging.
- **Benefits**:
  - 3 weeks paid vacation + 5 sick days + >20 paid holidays/year.
  - 100% employer‑paid medical premiums and deductibles for employee and dependents; premium dental and vision.
  - 401(k) with employer match, pre‑tax FSA (health & dependent care), commuter benefits.
  - Career development: mentorship programs, hands‑on training, career paths tailored to personal goals.
- **Work model**: Multiple facilities (Alameda HQ, Oak Ridge, Albuquerque) – roles are likely on‑site or hybrid depending on function; no explicit remote‑only policy disclosed.
- **Mission‑driven environment**: Direct impact on climate change; work on complex engineering challenges in nuclear energy.
- **Values**: Mission‑driven, responsible, people‑centered, pioneering, collaborative, action‑oriented, direct & honest. [kairospower.com/careers](https://www.kairospower.com/careers)

## Sources

1. [kairospower.com](https://www.kairospower.com/) – Company homepage, locations, technology overview
2. [kairospower.com/about](https://www.kairospower.com/about) – Founders, leadership, history, locations
3. [kairospower.com/our-approach](https://www.kairospower.com/our-approach) – Vertical integration, iterative development, partnerships
4. [kairospower.com/careers](https://www.kairospower.com/careers) – Culture, benefits, values, employee resource groups, headcount
5. [linkedin.com/company/kairospower](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kairospower) – Company LinkedIn page (used for verification)

## Other roles at Kairos Power

- [EHS Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/ehs-manager-kairos-power-albuquerque-9meft8jmh55e) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Operations Engineer, Salt Production Facility](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-engineer-salt-production-facility-kairos-power-albuquerque-gwgt2xz2xc8p) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/environmental-health-and-safety-ehs-specialist-kairos-power-albuquerque-m0sf1y9c4s8s) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Director, Manufacturing Industrialization & Scaling](https://feeny.ai/job/director-manufacturing-industrialization-scaling-kairos-power-alameda-khbd6a4d2ee2) — Alameda, CA
- [Software Engineer, Cyber Physical Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-cyber-physical-systems-kairos-power-alameda-ca-or-albuquerque-mr4986cfrxs5) — Alameda CA OR Albuquerque, NM
- [Senior IC&E Embedded Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-ic-e-embedded-systems-engineer-kairos-power-alameda-yngja0nzg5v8) — Alameda, CA
- [Nuclear Engineering Internship - Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/nuclear-engineering-internship-summer-2027-kairos-power-alameda-ca-albuquerque-2jaczvnrd69t) — Alameda CA Albuquerque NM Oak Ridge, TN
- [Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Internship - Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-and-manufacturing-engineering-internship-summer-2027-kairos-power-j23regcc4qhp) — Alameda CA Albuquerque NM OR Oak Ridge, TN
- [Electrical Engineering Internship - Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineering-internship-summer-2027-kairos-power-alameda-ca-gbpn0zb0094d) — Alameda CA Albuquerque NM OR Oak Ridge, TN
- [Civil Engineering Internship - Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/civil-engineering-internship-summer-2027-kairos-power-alameda-ca-albuquerque-nm-bz0q4caj83n7) — Alameda CA Albuquerque NM OR Oak Ridge, TN