Senior Program Director Jobs in Sumter, SC (NOW HIRING)

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values-Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity-guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The Director of Nuclear Workforce Pipeline Development is responsible for building and leading a new function focused on securing the external talent pipeline critical to the nuclear industries' current and future operations. This leader will identify the workforce gaps, build a multi-year strategy to close them, and establish durable relationships with colleges, universities, technical/trade schools, and K-12 school districts to create sustainable pathways into nuclear careers. 

This is a build role: the successful candidate will stand up the team, its operating model, and its external partnerships largely from the ground up, while working closely with Services, Construction, Training, and leadership to ensure the pipeline strategy is grounded in real, near-term staffing needs. 

Responsibilities

Strategy & Pain-Point Diagnosis 

• Partner with leadership to identify the most urgent and highest-risk workforce gaps (by craft, discipline, site, and time horizon) 
• Build and maintain a workforce gap analysis / heat map that informs where pipeline investment should be prioritized 
• Translate operational staffing needs into a multi-year external pipeline strategy and investment plan 
• Develop metrics and a reporting cadence to track pipeline health (applicant flow, conversion, time-to-fill, diversity of pipeline, program ROI) 
• Establish an operating rhythm and governance model, including a cross-functional steering committee with Operations and Training stakeholders 

External Relationship Development 

• Build and manage strategic relationships with universities and colleges (nuclear engineering and related STEM programs), community and technical colleges (craft and technician programs), and local K-12 school districts (early STEM exposure, career and technical education pathways) 
• Negotiate and manage formal partnership agreements - internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, dual-enrollment programs, curriculum alignment, and scholarship or sponsorship arrangements
• Represent the organization at industry, academic, and community forums related to nuclear workforce development 
• Serve as a credible technical and cultural ambassador for the nuclear industry to educators, administrators, and students 

Program Design & Execution 

• Design and launch pipeline programs (e.g., apprenticeship pathways, internship-to-hire programs, dual-enrollment craft training, teacher externships, curriculum co-development) 
• Ensure programs address both near-term craft/technical gaps and longer-term engineering and leadership pipeline needs 
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to ensure smooth handoff from pipeline program to formal hiring 
• Identify and pursue relevant grant funding, workforce development incentives, and government/DOE partnership opportunities where applicable 

Stakeholder & Budget Management 

• Own the budget for workforce pipeline programs and partnerships 
• Report pipeline progress, gap-closure status, and program outcomes to senior leadership 
• Build internal awareness and buy-in across sites for pipeline initiatives 

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Engineering, Education, or related field (Master's preferred) 
• 10+ years of progressive experience in workforce development, talent strategy, HR, or nuclear/energy operations 
• Demonstrated experience building external partnerships with educational institutions - direct experience in nuclear, energy, or another highly regulated/technical industry strongly preferred 
• Track record of building a function from the ground up 
• Strong understanding of nuclear industry roles, career pathways, and licensing/certification requirements, or demonstrated ability to get up to speed quickly with credibility among technical stakeholders 
• Experience designing and scaling workforce programs such as apprenticeships, internships, or dual-enrollment partnerships 
• Strong data fluency - able to build and interpret workforce gap analyses and translate them into investment priorities 
• Excellent external relationship-building and negotiation skills, with experience engaging deans, superintendents, and other senior academic/community stakeholders 
• Executive presence and communication skills sufficient to represent the organization externally and to influence senior internal leadership 

Preferred

• Experience within a nuclear utility, national lab, DOE contractor, or nuclear new-build environment 
• Existing relationships with nuclear engineering programs, technical colleges, or workforce development consortia 
• Experience pursuing and managing workforce-related grant funding or public-private partnerships 

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range
The estimated starting salary range for this role is $178,000 - $204,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company's discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role. 

EEO Statement
The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.