Research And Development Associate Jobs in California

Thanks for your interest in Oklo!  We are searching for a Corporate Development Associate to join our team. 

Position Description

We're looking for a highly motivated Corporate Development Associate to join our team and support the company's growth through strategic initiatives, including M&A, partnerships, investments, and other growth opportunities. This is a high-impact role that requires strong analytical capabilities, strategic thinking, and deal execution experience. Candidates with prior experience in investment banking, corporate development, private equity, venture capital, or management consulting are strongly preferred.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Financial Modeling & Valuation
  • Build and maintain detailed financial models for target companies and transaction scenarios.
  • Conduct valuation analyses using DCF, precedent transactions, and comparable company multiples.
• Due Diligence & Execution
  • Lead and support cross-functional due diligence processes.
  • Coordinate internal and external stakeholders, including legal, finance, product, and business teams.
  • Assist in deal structuring, negotiations, and integration planning.
• Strategic Planning
  
  • Provide technical feedback to quick-iterating design teams.
  • Document work using modern tools and techniques, and write well-written, thoughtful technical reports. 
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Work closely with executive leadership and business unit heads to assess strategic priorities.
  • Maintain relationships with bankers, VCs, founders, and other ecosystem players.
• Deal Sourcing & Analysis
  • Identify and evaluate M&A, investment, and strategic partnership opportunities aligned with company goals.
  • Conduct market research and competitive analysis to support strategic decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2-5 years of relevant experience in investment banking, corporate development, private equity, venture capital, or management consulting.
• Demonstrated experience in transaction execution and due diligence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for technology and strategic growth.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or a related field; or MBA.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to distill complex data into actionable insights and value-driven strategies.
• Proven ability to build and manage senior relationships across financial, commercial, and government sectors.
• Exceptional financial modeling, research, and analytical skills, with a knack for turning insights into recommendations.
• Passion for market trends, innovation, and competitive dynamics.
• Highly self-directed, with a track record of independently owning and delivering complex, cross-functional projects.

Preferred Traits: 

• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to operate independently and take initiative.
• Deep curiosity about markets, emerging business models, and investment trends.
• Prior exposure to or experience in nuclear, energy, start ups.

Competencies

We are looking for a Corporate Development Associate that is:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly-iterative startup environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won't enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn't about a fake or arbitrary "pieces of flair" mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren't about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren't about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $150,000-$200,000

Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo's Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.