Director, Licensing & Regulatory Affairs

Xcimer Energy leverages decades of research on Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) combined with groundbreaking new laser architecture. Our mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. Xcimer has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by leading investors, Xcimer is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. Join us in powering a better world with inertial fusion! This is a full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO. As the Director, Licensing & Regulatory Affairs, you will apply your skills to build and lead the Operations department that secures and maintains every license, permit, and regulatory approval Xcimer needs to site, build, and operate its facilities. You will own regulatory strategy, agency relationships, and the end-to-end management of license and permit applications, and you will run the compliance obligations system that keeps Xcimer in good standing once approvals are granted. You will partner closely with Engineering, which owns the technical and safety analyses that underpin our applications; your team makes sure that work becomes complete, on-time, well-received submittals and durable regulatory commitments. We are looking for our leaders to apply their expertise, problem solving skills, and dedication to quality to positively impact the future of energy!

Regulatory strategy: Develop, own and execute Xcimer’s licensing and permitting strategy for current and future facilities, including pathway selection across the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) byproduct-material framework and Agreement State programs, jointly with Engineering leadership. Agency relationships: Serve as Xcimer’s primary point of contact with the NRC, Agreement State radiation control offices, federal and state environmental agencies, and local permitting and building authorities; lead pre-application meetings and ongoing regulator engagement. Application program management: Plan, schedule, budget, and manage license and permit applications from pre-application through approval: define submittal content and structure, assign contributors, integrate technical inputs from Engineering, control document versions, and coordinate responses to requests for additional information (RAIs). Permit inventory and calendar: Own the enterprise inventory of required licenses and permits (radioactive materials, environmental, air, water, land use, building, and others) with lead times, dependencies, and renewal dates, and integrate it into facility and program schedules. Site and environmental permitting: Lead non-technical environmental review and site permitting activities, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes where federal funding or action applies, and air, water, land-use, and zoning approvals, working with Capital Projects/Facilities and outside consultants. Compliance obligations system: Build and run the register of regulatory commitments and license conditions; assign owners, track closure, and provide leadership with a clear view of status and risk. Inspections, reporting, and records: Coordinate agency inspections and audits, required notifications and periodic reports, and the regulatory records system; manage correspondence and ensure submittals are traceable and retrievable. License administration: Once licensed, administer licenses (amendments, renewals, fees, and conditions) in partnership with the Radiation Safety Officer and EH&S. Regulatory intelligence: Monitor federal and state rulemaking and guidance affecting fusion and laser facilities, assess impact, and coordinate Xcimer’s formal comments and industry positions with Engineering, Legal, and External Affairs. Budget and partners: Manage the department budget and the portfolio of licensing consultants and specialist firms; timely escalate to and coordinate with Legal any unresolved regulatory matters or issues to engage and direct regulatory counsel. Cross-functional governance: Serve on the company Safety Working Group and relevant design and readiness reviews to ensure regulatory requirements and commitments flow into design, construction, and operations. Team leadership: Recruit, develop, and lead a team of licensing and permitting specialists and compliance administrators; establish the department’s procedures, tools, and metrics.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, environmental science, public policy, or a related field; or equivalent experience. Experience: 10+ years of experience in regulatory affairs, licensing, or permitting for nuclear, radiological, energy, or other highly regulated industrial facilities, including 5+ years leading teams or programs. Direct experience preparing and managing license or permit applications through approval with the NRC, an Agreement State, DOE, or comparable federal or state regulators. Working knowledge of radioactive materials licensing (e.g., 10 CFR Parts 20 and 30 or Agreement State equivalents) and of environmental permitting and NEPA processes. Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-contributor submittals to schedule and budget, and to integrate technical content produced by engineering teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including regulatory correspondence and briefings to executives and agency staff. Willingness to travel as needed to agencies, sites, and prospective facility locations. Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee of granted asylum.

Experience licensing first-of-a-kind facilities or technologies, including fusion, accelerators, research reactors, or advanced reactors. Experience with Agreement State fusion or accelerator regulatory programs and with the NRC’s fusion machine rulemaking. Experience standing up a regulatory affairs or compliance function in a fast-growing organization. Familiarity with laser product and laser safety regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA/CDRH, ANSI Z136). Experience with commitment-tracking and records management systems for regulated facilities. Advanced degree or professional credential (e.g., PE, JD, PMP, or Regulatory Affairs certification).

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