Software Lifecycle Specialist
Oklo Inc, Santa Clara, CA, United States
Position Description
This role will be focused on strengthening our software development lifecycle, ensuring high-quality delivery, and maintaining compliance with internal and regulatory standards. We support a variety of internal “customers” and establish the processes, tooling structures, and governance frameworks that allow engineering teams to execute effectively and transparently. Oklo is a fast-moving startup, and we are actively formalizing lifecycle rigor while preserving engineering velocity. You will have the opportunity to shape how software is scoped, tracked, governed, and released across the company. A nuclear background is not required, but strong systems thinking, attention to detail, a proactive mindset, and a sense of curiosity about the domain are all essential in this role.
Specific Responsibilities
Define and maintain software lifecycle standards, templates, and workflows across GitLab and Jira.
Establish and enforce traceability between requirements, design artifacts, code, testing, and validation activities.
Partner with engineers to ensure proper scoping, backlog hygiene, and milestone alignment.
Define change control and configuration management expectations in collaboration with DevOps / Engineering Infrastructure.
Support audit readiness by ensuring lifecycle documentation and records are complete and reproducible.
Define lifecycle standards including Definition of Done expectations and release controls.
Build reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into lifecycle health, risk, and delivery status.
Identify gaps in the software lifecycle and improve engineering workflows.
Translate compliance requirements into practical, implementable engineering workflows.
Evaluate and recommend tooling improvements that strengthen lifecycle integrity without introducing unnecessary process overhead.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent industry experience.
5+ years of experience in software development, DevOps, technical program management, software quality, or systems engineering.
Experience working in regulated or compliance-driven environments.
Strong understanding of software development lifecycle concepts including requirements traceability, version control, CI/CD, configuration management, validation, and release control.
Experience working with Jira or similar issue tracking systems in a structured, milestone-driven environment.
Experience documenting processes clearly and unambiguously.
Strong cross‑functional communication skills.
Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and building structure where none exists.
Bonus Qualifications
Experience supporting NQA‑1, ISO 9001, NIST, or similar regulatory or compliance frameworks.
Experience with GitLab, especially GitLab CI/CD and repository governance controls.
Experience defining or auditing SDLC frameworks.
Experience building dashboards or lifecycle reporting tools.
Experience supporting engineering organizations with hardware, simulation, or embedded systems.
Familiarity with CAD or PLM lifecycle controls.
Experience writing or maintaining work instructions and formal procedures.
Experience with secure software development lifecycle frameworks such as CSSLP or similar certifications.
Who You Are A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don’t need intensive guidance and enjoy working in a fast-paced team.
Motivated: You are self‑motivated, bring enthusiasm, and share a passion that goes beyond clocking in and out.
A team‑player: You value collaboration, do not chase credit, and help others succeed.
An excellent communicator: You communicate clearly and upbeatly, both technically and non‑technically.
Creative: You invent solutions when processes are unclear and drive open-ended problem solving.
Detail‑oriented: You maintain high quality in grammar, spelling, and overall presentation.
Travel Requirements Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter, including meetings, off‑sites, and other company events. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees must be in person at headquarters.
Compensation Salary: $110,000‑$165,000
Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.
Export Control This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only candidates 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.
Values
Collaboration : We go further together by sharing ownership and building trust through transparency and respect.
Humility : We act for the good of the company and the world, focusing on the mission rather than personal recognition.
Ownership : We take pride in what we do, proactively find solutions, and see tasks through to completion.
Pathfinding : We chart new ground by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.
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Specific Responsibilities
Define and maintain software lifecycle standards, templates, and workflows across GitLab and Jira.
Establish and enforce traceability between requirements, design artifacts, code, testing, and validation activities.
Partner with engineers to ensure proper scoping, backlog hygiene, and milestone alignment.
Define change control and configuration management expectations in collaboration with DevOps / Engineering Infrastructure.
Support audit readiness by ensuring lifecycle documentation and records are complete and reproducible.
Define lifecycle standards including Definition of Done expectations and release controls.
Build reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into lifecycle health, risk, and delivery status.
Identify gaps in the software lifecycle and improve engineering workflows.
Translate compliance requirements into practical, implementable engineering workflows.
Evaluate and recommend tooling improvements that strengthen lifecycle integrity without introducing unnecessary process overhead.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent industry experience.
5+ years of experience in software development, DevOps, technical program management, software quality, or systems engineering.
Experience working in regulated or compliance-driven environments.
Strong understanding of software development lifecycle concepts including requirements traceability, version control, CI/CD, configuration management, validation, and release control.
Experience working with Jira or similar issue tracking systems in a structured, milestone-driven environment.
Experience documenting processes clearly and unambiguously.
Strong cross‑functional communication skills.
Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and building structure where none exists.
Bonus Qualifications
Experience supporting NQA‑1, ISO 9001, NIST, or similar regulatory or compliance frameworks.
Experience with GitLab, especially GitLab CI/CD and repository governance controls.
Experience defining or auditing SDLC frameworks.
Experience building dashboards or lifecycle reporting tools.
Experience supporting engineering organizations with hardware, simulation, or embedded systems.
Familiarity with CAD or PLM lifecycle controls.
Experience writing or maintaining work instructions and formal procedures.
Experience with secure software development lifecycle frameworks such as CSSLP or similar certifications.
Who You Are A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don’t need intensive guidance and enjoy working in a fast-paced team.
Motivated: You are self‑motivated, bring enthusiasm, and share a passion that goes beyond clocking in and out.
A team‑player: You value collaboration, do not chase credit, and help others succeed.
An excellent communicator: You communicate clearly and upbeatly, both technically and non‑technically.
Creative: You invent solutions when processes are unclear and drive open-ended problem solving.
Detail‑oriented: You maintain high quality in grammar, spelling, and overall presentation.
Travel Requirements Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter, including meetings, off‑sites, and other company events. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees must be in person at headquarters.
Compensation Salary: $110,000‑$165,000
Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.
Export Control This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only candidates 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.
Values
Collaboration : We go further together by sharing ownership and building trust through transparency and respect.
Humility : We act for the good of the company and the world, focusing on the mission rather than personal recognition.
Ownership : We take pride in what we do, proactively find solutions, and see tasks through to completion.
Pathfinding : We chart new ground by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.
#J-18808-Ljbffr