Director of Recruiting at Deep Fission, Inc

United States

Deep Fission is a nuclear technology company pioneering the development of a revolutionary deep borehole pressurized water reactor. We recently completed a private placement financing and Alternative Public Offering and are now operating as a public company while maintaining our startup agility and innovation focus. With strategic partnerships in place, strong private and public investment, and active engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), we are executing our next phase of growth as we advance our groundbreaking nuclear technology toward commercial deployment. Job Summary: Hiring at Deep Fission is a strategic function and this role is proof of that. As our first dedicated recruiting leader, you won’t just fill roles. You’ll build the system, the brand, and the culture of hiring that determines who Deep Fission becomes. We’re working on one of the most consequential technology challenges of our time, and we need a team that reflects the full breadth of human talent and perspective to solve it. That means building a recruiting function that doesn’t just move fast but it moves thoughtfully, with equity and inclusion embedded into every stage of the process. You’ll own full-cycle hiring across the organization, build the infrastructure from the ground up, and partner directly with the executive team to turn headcount plans into great hires. This starts as a senior individual contributor role, with a clear path to building and leading a small team as we scale. Key Responsibilities: Build & Lead the Recruiting Function Design and own the end-to-end recruiting process — intake, pipeline management, offer approval, and reporting — with a focus on consistency, speed, and quality Establish structured, bias-mitigated interview frameworks and calibrate hiring managers on what great looks like across functions Define and track recruiting metrics that matter: time-to-hire, pipeline conversion, source quality, offer acceptance, and diversity of candidate slates Build a candidate experience that reflects our values at every touchpoint, regardless of outcome Leverage AI tools and automation to scale your impact from sourcing and screening to scheduling and reporting and bring a point of view on where AI creates leverage and where human judgment is irreplaceable Drive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Hiring Develop and own a proactive diversity sourcing strategy not as a checkbox, but as a core part of how we build the company Audit and continuously improve job descriptions, interview panels, and evaluation criteria to reduce bias and broaden the candidate pool Build relationships with organizations, universities, and communities that expand access to underrepresented talent in deep tech, nuclear, and energy sectors Champion inclusive hiring practices across the organization and coach hiring managers to do the same Source & Attract Specialized Talent Develop targeted sourcing strategies for hard-to-find talent: nuclear engineers, NRC-experienced regulatory professionals, DOE/DOD alumni, and energy infrastructure specialists Build Deep Fission’s presence in the talent communities that matter such as national labs, professional associations, HBCUs and research universities, veterans’ networks, and emerging energy programs Partner with leadership to articulate a compelling, authentic employee value proposition that resonates across diverse talent pools Partner with Leadership Translate headcount plans into actionable hiring roadmaps with realistic timelines, resource requirements, and risk flags Advise hiring managers on role scoping, leveling, compensation strategy, and when to move (or not) Serve as a genuine thought partner to the executive team on org design, talent strategy, and the long-term workforce plan Required Skills & Experience 8+ years of recruiting experience, including at least 3 years owning recruiting strategy at a startup or high-growth company Demonstrated success building or significantly improving a recruiting function — not just operating within one Proven experience developing and executing diversity sourcing strategies and embedding equitable practices into the hiring process Track record of hiring across technical and non-technical functions simultaneously, with high quality and at pace Comfort operating in an AI-native environment meaning that you use AI tools fluently in your own work, have a perspective on how they’re changing recruiting, and can help the organization think through what that means for how we hire and for what Strong executive presence and is comfortable advising, challenging, and aligning at the C-suite level Sharp judgment on candidate quality, offer strategy, and process design Desired Skills & Experience Experience recruiting in energy, defense, deep tech, nuclear, or other regulated, capital-intensive industries Familiarity with government-adjacent talent pools (DOE, DOD, national labs, federal contractors) Experience scaling a team from ~60 to 150+ employees Background working with DEI-focused hiring initiatives in technical or STEM-heavy organizations Our Commitment: Deep Fission is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our passion for advancing clean nuclear energy and creating a sustainable future. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.