Machinist I
Kairos Power
Company Overview
Kairos Power
Alameda, California, United States
2016
Over 300 employees (source: kairospower.consultation.ai), privately held with no public revenue figures (source: wikipedia.org)
What They Do
Kairos Power specializes in the development of fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (KP-FHR), a type of small modular reactor (SMR) that utilizes low-pressure molten fluoride salt as a coolant and ceramic-coated TRISO fuel particles. This innovative design allows for online refueling without the need for shutdowns, enhancing operational efficiency (source: wikipedia.org). The reactors feature a secondary "solar salt" loop that transfers heat to a steam generator, producing electricity at commercial steam conditions. This approach aims to achieve cost-competitiveness with natural gas while maintaining high availability and low maintenance, offering dispatchable power to complement renewable energy sources with near-zero carbon emissions and minimal water use (source: kairospower.com). Kairos Power's products are centered around the KP-FHR for sustainable baseload power generation, with plans for demonstration and scaling in the near future (source: wikipedia.org). Their target markets include U.S. electricity grids, AI data centers, and process heat applications, with notable clients such as Google, which has ordered multiple reactors (source: climatebase.org).
Projects & Track Record
While Kairos Power has not yet completed any projects to commercial operation, they are advancing the Hermes project, a low-power demonstration FHR reactor planned at 35 MW thermal. The NRC accepted their construction permit application in November 2021, and site construction approval was granted in Tennessee in 2023, marking the first non-water-cooled U.S. plant approval in 50 years (source: wikipedia.org). The full construction permit was approved in December 2023, with groundbreaking planned for 2023 and an operational target set for 2026 on TVA land (source: kairospower.consultation.ai). Ongoing projects include the Engineering Test Unit (ETU) hot commissioning at KP Southwest, which began in August 2022, and expanded in-house manufacturing capabilities across their facilities (source: kairospower.consultation.ai).
Recent Developments
In recent years, Kairos Power has made significant strides, including securing a major agreement with Google in 2024 for 6-7 small nuclear reactors to power AI data centers, with the first expected online by 2030 (source: wikipedia.org). The NRC's approval of the Hermes construction permit in December 2023 and site construction in Tennessee in 2023 was a landmark achievement, being the first such non-water-cooled approval in half a century (source: wikipedia.org). Additionally, the ETU hot commissioning commenced in August 2022 at KP Southwest, and the Pebble Development Lab was completed in May 2021, furthering their research and development capabilities (source: kairospower.consultation.ai).
Working There
Kairos Power employs over 300 full-time staff across various roles, including nuclear and non-nuclear engineering, reactor design, salt systems, analysis, testing, licensing, manufacturing, and support roles (source: kairospower.consultation.ai). The company operates from its headquarters in Alameda, California, with additional facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Elmore, providing diverse opportunities for employment (source: kairospower.consultation.ai). Kairos Power fosters a culture of diversity, motivation, and inclusivity, emphasizing collaborative, hands-on engineering and innovation leadership. CEO Mike Laufer has instituted mission reviews at the start of every meeting to align the team with the company's goals (source: kairospower.com).
Contact
Last updated on 2025-12-26 | Report an issue
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.
Kairos Power is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Machinist with experience setting up, programming, and operating a variety of multi-axis machine tools including lathes, milling machines, boring machines, and grinders to produce precision parts and components from both metallic and nonmetallic materials. Responsibilities include interpreting blueprints and technical drawings, selecting appropriate tooling and materials, and ensuring all work meets tight tolerances and quality standards. The Machinist creates and edits NC programs for CNC machines, performs in-process inspections, and adjusts setups as needed to maintain accuracy and efficiency.
Responsibilities
Job Planning
- Reads blueprint or job order for product specifications such as dimensions and tolerances, and tooling instructions such as fixtures, feed rates, cutting speeds, depth of cut, and determines sequence of operations.
- Establishes work coordinate systems and tooling offsets.
- Creates work holding methods and plans for all machine operations.
Machine Setup and Operation
- Positions and secures workpiece in holding device, machine table, chuck, centers, or fixtures.
- Sets up and operates machines and equipment other than machine tools.
- Observes operation of machine and verifies conformance of machined workpiece to specifications.
Programming
- Creates and edits NC programs using industry software such as MasterCam.
Production Control
- Maintains compliance with internal quality standards and proficiently utilizes job scheduling software to track production and shop floor operations.
Documentation
- Completes and maintains accurate job travelers and first article inspection reports to ensure documentation compliance and traceability throughout the manufacturing process.
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required, along with 2+ years of relevant machining experience (including mill, lathe, 3-axis, 5-axis, and live-tooling); or an equivalent combination of education, training, and hands-on experience
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Knowledge of CAM-CAD software and G-Code; Experience in Solidworks is a plus
- Ability to create and edit machining programs CAM software (Mastercam preferred)
- Understanding of basic and advanced GD&T such as: tolerancing, flatness, parallelism, thread tolerances, profile tolerances, perpendicularity
- Ability to work with shop mathematical concepts to practical situations
- Ability to maintain and use precision measuring tools such as: Vernier Calipers, Micrometers, Height gages, Gauge Pins, Gauge Blocks, Thread Gauges, etc.
- Knowledge and understanding of CNC cutting tool selections. cutting tool surface footage, and chip load feed rates
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals
- Ability to utilize computers and company-specific software, including timekeeping tools, training platforms, and work order systems to perform daily responsibilities effectively
- Ability to work with highly collaborative team
- Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
- Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others
- 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
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 25 pounds in all directions
- Communicating with others to exchange information
- Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
- Use hand tools
- Repetitive assembly operations of manufacturing test fixtures and test setups in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams
Environmental Conditions
- Noisy environments
- Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
- Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
- High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced
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, face shields, gloves, safety shoes
Certification
- Capable of obtaining forklift and boom lift certification
Additional Requirements
- Occasionally requires overtime
- Occasionally requires working weekends
- Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
- Occasionally requires non-standard work-week hours
- Occasionally requires working 2nd shift, beginning at 4:30pm local time
- Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines
The hourly range for this position is $36 to $40 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
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About the role
December 26, 2025
Full Time
Company
December 26, 2025
On-site
USD 36–40 per hour
- Alameda, California, United States
2+ years of relevant machining experience
UTC-08:00
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