Shift Manager (Fuel Facility)

Job Profile

• Lead the production and maintenance shift teams, ensuring cohesive, well-coordinated operations.
• Manage staffing coverage for assigned shift.
• Serve as the primary decision-maker for on-shift operational issues, escalating to the Operations Manager as needed.
• Lead on-shift briefings. Ensure attainment of daily, weekly, and monthly production targets.
• Maintain real-time awareness of facility status, equipment performance, and workflow bottlenecks.
• Enforce all nuclear, radiological, chemical, and industrial safety requirements.
• Ensure strict compliance with facility procedures, regulatory standards, and license conditions.
• Verify that operators follow approved work instructions, inspection protocols, and quality hold points.
• Ensure all production activities meet TRISO-X fuel quality specifications and documentation requirements.
• Support root-cause investigations and corrective actions for quality deviations.
• Uphold all physical security, access control, and material accountability requirements.
• Ensure proper handling, tracking, and documentation of nuclear materials in accordance with safeguards protocols.
• Immediately report and respond to any security-related anomalies or concerns.
• Act as the central point of coordination between production, maintenance, engineering, quality, and security teams.
• Deconflict work activities to prevent interference, safety hazards, or schedule delays.
• Maintain accurate shift logs, production reports, and turnover documentation.
• Conduct structured shift handovers to ensure continuity of operations.
• Champion a strong safety culture by enforcing all safety procedures, including PPE use, lockout/tagout, pressure-vessel safety, and hazard-control protocols.
• Ensure personnel stop work when unsafe conditions exist and support rapid resolution of hazards.
• Lead and participate in emergency response drills, including development, coordination, and evaluation of drill packages.
• Verify that work areas remain clean, organized, and compliant with industrial hygiene and safety standards.
• Review process control charts, quality data, and technician reports to identify trends, deviations, or improvement opportunities.
• Enforce adherence to all environment, safety, health, and quality program requirements.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, including updates to standard operating procedures and production documentation.
• Protect sensitive information, including security-related and export-controlled data, in accordance with regulatory and company requirements.
• Ensure all team activities comply with NRC standards, internal policies, and audit expectations.
• Communicate operational expectations, changes, and lessons learned clearly and consistently.
• Document production results, safety events, quality concerns, and equipment issues in accordance with plant requirements.
• Support budget and schedule attainment by identifying inefficiencies and recommending corrective actions.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support plant operations and organizational goals, including reporting during off-duty hours for site emergency responses.
• Be able to detect and respond to equipment alarms.
• Maintain professional demeanor and behavior at all times in all forms of communication.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering.
• 5+ years of management experience in nuclear industry, nuclear-related field, or relevant non-nuclear manufacturing within a regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of safety-critical operations, quality systems, and procedural compliance.
• Ability to make sound decisions under pressure and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability and willingness to transition from a standard weekday schedule to a rotating 24/7 shift schedule as the facility scales.
• Pass pre-placement medical examination including physical capacity assessment, respirator medical clearance, and baseline testing for hearing, and pulmonary function as required by assigned duties.
• Must pass a drug test.
• Must have the ability to wear a respirator.
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 50 pounds.
• Must be able to perform frequent repetitive lifting and bending associated with production processes.
• Must be able to stand for long hours.
• Experience with basic computer applications and electronic data collection systems.
• Up to 10% travel.

Preferred

• Familiarity with industrial safety practices, emergency procedures, and proper handling of hazardous / radioactive materials.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in shift-based or 24/7 operations.
• Experience in nuclear fuel fabrication, nuclear operations, or DOE/NRC-regulated facilities.
• Working knowledge of TRISO-X fuel processes, glovebox operations, or radiological controls.
• Prior experience supervising multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Nuclear Material Control & Accountability experience.