Manager, Engineering Strategy & Operations

Location: Rockville, MD

X-energy LLC conducts a thorough recruiting process and will never issue offers without interview to discuss qualifications and responsibilities. All applications will be submitted via our company career page, www.x-energy.com/careers/. We will never ask you to provide payment information as part of the recruiting process. If anyone claiming to represent X-energy directs you in a manner otherwise, please contact us at www.x-energy.com/contact-us.

The Manager of Engineering Strategy and Operations will lead strategic initiatives and drive operational excellence across the engineering departments. This role is critical in aligning engineering activities with the company's overarching goals while advancing the development of innovative small modular reactors (SMRs) utilizing high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology. The role also serves as a senior engineering voice in business development and early project engagement, translating technical capability into a clear value story for prospective customers and helping shape opportunities from first discovery through project definition.

The position requires a strategic thinker and skilled leader to ensure the engineering organization delivers cutting-edge solutions and operational effectiveness that support the company's mission.

Job Profile Tasks/Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Alignment

Partner with all of Engineering leadership to help define, refine, and operationalize the Engineering vision, strategy, and priorities.

Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives that require Engineering leadership engagement, serving as an integrator and decision enabler.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Ability and willingness to help all team members inside and outside of engineering.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement across engineering functions.
• Lead change management efforts to improve organizational health, engagement, and execution across the company.
• Mentor and support engineering strategy and operations team members, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary liaison between engineering and other departments (e.g., IT, Supply Chain and Procurement, Finance, Business Development).
• Collaborate with other leaders to drive cross-functional initiatives and operational alignment.
• Lead special projects and high-priority efforts that require oversight, technical understanding, and influence across organizational boundaries.

Business Development & Early Project Engagement

Serve as the primary engineering representative in early-stage customer and business development engagements, communicating the technology, plant capabilities, and deployment approach to executive, technical, and non-technical audiences.

Lead engineering participation in early project discovery and pre-FEL/FEL-0 activities, including defining customer needs, site and application considerations, preliminary scope, assumptions, and key technical questions.

Coordinate and synthesize engineering responses to customer inquiries, RFIs, RFPs, and due-diligence questions, ensuring responses are accurate, consistent, timely, and aligned with company positions.

Translate customer requirements and feedback into actionable inputs for engineering; collaborating with licensing, project controls, and leadership, ensuring early commitments are realistic and supported internally.

Partner with Business Development to develop standardized early-engagement scopes, deliverables, and templates that can be applied consistently across opportunities.

Ensure early engagements are properly resourced by aligning engineering resources, subject matter experts, and subcontractor support with priorities and timelines.

Support customer workshops, site visits, technical exchange meetings, and executive briefings, building trusted relationships with prospective customers and partners.

Facilitate a smooth handoff from business development and early project phases into project execution, preserving continuity of scope, assumptions, and customer commitments.

Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

• Synthesize technical and organizational discussions into strategic narratives and actionable insights for senior audiences.
• Develop high-impact presentations and communications for internal and external stakeholders, including Board, C-suite, prospective customers, partners, and investors.
• Craft clear, credible technical narratives that support business development pursuits, customer decision-making, and company positioning in the market.
• Monitor organizational sentiment, surface concerns, and guide course corrections where necessary.

Operations Support

• Understand and assist with day-to-day operations of the engineering department, ensuring optimal resource allocation and utilization, and schedule to include establishing metrics, goals, and KPIs to measure engineering performance, productivity, and quality.
• Assist with effective project management methodologies appropriate for nuclear engineering projects.
• Help maintain engineering budgets, forecasts, and resource planning models.

General

Maintain professional demeanor and behavior at all times in all forms of communication.

Perform other duties as assigned by the manager.

Job Profile Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline; master's preferred, not required.
• Typically, 10+ years of engineering experience.
• Experience leading large-scale initiatives.
• Experience synthesizing complex technical information and communicating effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience engaging directly with customers, partners, or executive stakeholders in business development, proposal, or early project development settings.
• Location: 9801 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD
• Work Schedule: 4 days per week onsite
• Travel Expectation: 5%
• Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm, Mon-Fri

Compensation

As required by Maryland and other applicable state law, X Energy, LLC (X-energy) lists the expected compensation range for a publicly advertised job opportunity based upon the job requirements (e.g. education/training, experience, skill sets, etc.). Individual candidates who meet the job requirements for the posted position will be offered a salary within this range based on their respective levels of education/training, experience, and other qualifications unique to them.

Salary ranges may vary based on the specific office location and region referenced in the posting to take into consideration differences in cost of living and may not be reflective of all regions. Please note that compensation ranges listed for US job postings reflect base salary only and do not include benefits or other incentives.

Offers within the posted salary range are commensurate with the individual’s qualifications for the position, along with a view on internal equity, market data, and room for growth. The salary range for this position is:

$162,500 - $185,000

Position Job Classification

Full time - Exempt

Benefits

X Energy, LLC offers a robust benefits package that includes a 401K plan with an employer match, Medical/Dental /Vision Insurance, Life and Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off, and a Tuition Reimbursement/Professional Development policy that supports the continuing education of our employees.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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