Environmental Health and Safety Lead

Job Description

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.

As an Environment Health & Safety (EHS) Lead, your primary emphasis will be to lead a diverse team in an operational setting promoting a culture of safety, sustainability, and environmental responsibility. You will be instrumental in developing and implementing industrial safety, industrial hygiene and environmental programs, managing regulatory compliance, and fostering a safe and environmentally conscious work environment. You will lead a cross functional EHS team in a growing environment covering several phases, such as research and development, construction, and operations. The EHS team is responsible for the overall health and safety of the facility. A successful candidate will need to be highly collaborative, be able to identify gaps in programs or operational fundamentals, have a lean business mindset, be able to find pioneering ways to achieve complex objectives, adaptable to a fast moving and busy environment, be able to prioritize objectives and align with the company’s goals and risk tolerance.

Responsibilities

• Leads a diverse team of EHS professionals, offering mentorship and growth opportunities
• Ensures EHS initiatives foster direct and honest communication, including leading safety committee meetings, toolbox talks, lunch and learns, and safety moments
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams, management, and external agencies to align with safety objectives
• Coordinates with operational, maintenance, laboratory, and research staff to identify and mitigate hazards
• Engages with employees on the floor to understand workflows, remaining open and approachable
• Drives outcomes through the OKR process, leveraging partnerships with key stakeholders
• Develops, implements, and maintains environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs to comply with all regulations
• Identifies and controls potential hazards through proactive measures
• Leads the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) process to continually improve safety
• Creates and manages emergency response plans; ensures employees are trained and prepared
• Performs regular risk assessments to maintain a safe working environment
• Designs, reviews, and delivers EHS-related training, including safety orientation for new hires
• Collaborates with the Learning and Development team to track and validate required training
• Stays informed of evolving environmental, health, and safety regulations, standards, and inspection requirements
• Prepares and submits relevant regulatory reports, permits, and other required documentation
• Conducts inspections and audits regularly to verify compliance and to highlight opportunities for improvement
• Oversees safety compliance for contractors and vendors working on-site, ensuring they adhere to organizational EHS standards
• Manages waste processes such as disposal, recycling, and hazardous materials handling
• Implements waste reduction and recycling programs to advance sustainable practices
• Develops and manages vendor relationships to ensure responsible waste disposal
• Encourages environmental responsibility across the organization
• Investigates incidents and accidents, performs root cause analyses, and implements preventive measures
• Keeps thorough records of incidents and communicate findings as required
• Collects, analyzes, and reports industrial hygiene data to drive ongoing safety improvements
• Devises strategies to maintain low recordable incident rates through consistent monitoring and improvement
• Works closely with HR to manage workers’ compensation claims and ensure proper return-to-work processes
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Occupational Health and Safety, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in safety management, regulatory compliance, and program development. Environmental or Industrial Hygiene focus is an asset
• Strong knowledge of EHS regulations, codes, and standards
• Understand the diverse requirements in a manufacturing and R&D environment
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools
• Ability to work with and lead cross-functional teams
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Proven track record of developing a strong safety culture and reducing recordable incident rates
• Ability to work with highly collaborative team
• Ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently
• Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others

Physical Demands

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
• Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)
• Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments, including tight and confined spaces
• Remaining in a stationary position 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 50 pounds in all directions
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Operating common office equipment, such as computers, copiers, phones, etc.
• Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
• Use of hand tools

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment
• Low temperatures
• High temperatures
• Outdoor environment or elements, such as precipitation and wind
• Noisy environments
• Small and/or enclosed spaces
• Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
• Elevated heights
• Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• Demanding and fast-paced work environment, requiring ability to focus and concentrate

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, respirator, face shields, gloves, safety shoes, etc.
• Handling of materials containing Beryllium (Be)

Travel

• Some travel may be required (up to 10%)

Certification

• Capable of obtaining forklift, scissor lifts, articulating booms or related certifications
• CPR
• OSHA 10
• Certification (CSP, CIH, or similar) is preferred

Additional Requirements

• Requires seldom working weekends
• Requires occasional schedule flexibility
• Requires seldom non-standard work-week hours
• Requires occasional extended hours to support critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $125,000 to $147,100 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.

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