Head of Regulatory Affairs and Licensing

About the Company

General Matter enriches uranium.

We are designing, building, and operating the world’s lowest-cost enrichment services, here in the US.

In the process, we are restoring America’s ability to produce nuclear fuel to power AI, advanced manufacturing and critical industries our country relies on to remain competitive.

Fuel drives the cost of advanced reactor electricity production, and enrichment drives the cost of the fuel that advanced reactors consume. Reliable, low-cost enrichment is the catalyst for the nuclear Renaissance now under way.

Our mission is to make nuclear not only the cleanest and safest source of baseload power, but also the most affordable. We believe abundant nuclear energy will lead to a post-scarcity society.

We were incubated inside Founders Fund, like Anduril and Palantir before us, and are backed by over a dozen of the world's top venture capital firms.

Our lean, world-class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production.

We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency.

Help us build a high-energy society by making the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable.

About this role:

General Matter is seeking a Regulatory Affairs and Licensing to build and lead the regulatory affairs organization responsible for licensing America’s next generation of uranium enrichment infrastructure. This executive will define and execute our regulatory strategy, establish and coordinate regulatory policy and governance across several sites, lead engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Agreement State regulatory agencies, and guide licensing and regulatory readiness from facility development through commercial operations.

This is a builder role for a deeply experienced, mission-driven nuclear regulatory leader. You will work closely with Engineering, Operations, Legal, and executive leadership to translate rigorous safety and security requirements into an executable licensing program. You will establish a high-performing regulatory team, develop trusted relationships with regulators, and help General Matter move with urgency while maintaining uncompromising standards for nuclear safety and compliance.

Responsibilities:

- Define and execute General Matter’s regulatory affairs and licensing strategy in support of uranium enrichment facility development, commissioning, and operations.

- Serve as the company’s senior regulatory leader and principal executive interface with the NRC and NRC Agreement States, advising the CEO and leadership team on licensing risks, regulatory decisions, and strategic tradeoffs.

- Develop partnerships with industry counterparts through participation in Nuclear Energy Institute working groups and activities.

- Build, lead, and scale a high-performing regulatory affairs organization spanning licensing, regulatory compliance, technical submissions, and regulator engagement.

- Own end-to-end NRC licensing execution, including application strategy, regulatory submissions, requests for additional information, reviews, inspections, and license amendments.

- Develop a clear, technically defensible regulatory approach for uranium enrichment facilities, integrating nuclear safety, material control and accounting, safeguards, security, and environmental considerations.

- Establish disciplined regulatory processes, decision records, schedules, and quality standards that support timely, high quality, and complete submissions.

- Lead preparation for NRC audits, inspections, technical meetings, and regulatory milestones, ensuring organizational readiness and effective follow-through.

- Interpret and apply relevant NRC policies and requirements, including 10 CFR Part 70 and related fuel-cycle licensing, safety, and safeguards regulations.

- Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Facilities, Operations, Legal, and Security to embed regulatory requirements into design and operational decisions.

- Provide executive reporting on licensing milestones, regulatory risks, dependencies, and decisions required to maintain program momentum.

- Develop trusted working relationships with the NRC, DOE, other government stakeholders, and industry organizations while maintaining a constructive, transparent regulatory posture.

- Evaluate regulatory implications of new facilities, technologies, processes, suppliers, regulatory changes and program changes as General Matter scales.

- Recruit, mentor, and retain exceptional regulatory talent, creating a culture of technical rigor, accountability, sound judgment, and urgency.

- Champion a strong nuclear safety and compliance culture while advancing practical, risk-informed regulatory solutions grounded in sound engineering.

Basic Qualifications:

- 8+ years of progressive experience in nuclear regulatory affairs, licensing, nuclear safety, or a closely related discipline, including substantial leadership responsibility.

- Demonstrated success leading complex NRC licensing or regulatory programs in the nuclear industry or within a nuclear regulatory agency.

- Proven ability to build and lead teams, coordinate multidisciplinary technical work, and deliver against demanding regulatory milestones.

- Deep knowledge of the U.S. nuclear regulatory framework and the processes for NRC licensing, technical reviews, inspections, and regulatory engagement.

- Ability to interpret technical and regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, actionable direction for engineering and operational teams.

- Experience engaging with senior regulators, government officials, executive leaders, and other consequential stakeholders.

- Track record of partnering with technical teams to develop complete, high-quality regulatory submittals and resolve complex licensing issues.

- Exceptional judgment, integrity, and decision-making ability in high-consequence, highly regulated environments.

- Outstanding written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex regulatory issues without sacrificing technical rigor.

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Physical Sciences, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

- Previous experience as a VP, Head, Director, or senior leader of Nuclear Regulatory Affairs, or in a senior leadership role at the NRC.

- Direct experience with uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel-cycle facilities, special nuclear material, or other NRC-regulated materials facilities.

- Experience with NRC licensing under 10 CFR Part 70 and associated requirements, including integrated safety analysis, safeguards, and material control and accounting.

- Familiarity with NRC regulatory guidance, licensing bases, enforcement processes, inspections, and risk-informed regulatory decision-making.

- Experience leading major licensing applications, amendments, regulatory reviews, or operational readiness activities for complex nuclear facilities.

- Experience collaborating closely with design, process, safety, security, and operations organizations on first-of-a-kind industrial projects.

- Established relationships with NRC leadership, federal agencies, and nuclear industry stakeholders.

- Experience developing regulatory strategy for new technologies or challenging established approaches through rigorous technical justification.

- Advanced technical degree or demonstrated ability to obtain and maintain any required U.S. security clearance.

Additional Requirements:

- Willing to work extended hours, travel, and respond outside normal business hours as required by the mission.

- This position is based in Los Angeles, CA and requires being onsite full-time - hybrid and remote work will not be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer

General Matter is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with General Matter is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $200,000–$270,000 annually.

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, and internal equity. Please note that the stated salary range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on market conditions, business needs, or other factors. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.