External Engineering Manager

Last Energy is a nuclear energy company that designs, builds, owns, and operates small modular reactors (SMRs) for industrial and commercial customers. The company's flagship product, the PWR-20, is a 20 MWe pressurized water reactor that is fully modular and factory-produced, enabling faster and more cost-effective deployment than traditional nuclear power plants. Last Energy serves as a behind-the-meter independent power producer, supplying reliable baseload electricity to energy-intensive industries including data centers, metals production, food and beverage, pulp and paper, chemicals, and cement manufacturing. The company's mission centers on making nuclear power radically simpler and more accessible by removing the burden of development, financing, and operations from customers through a power purchase agreement model. This approach aligns nuclear energy deployment with the urgent need for resilient, low-carbon power, particularly as demand from AI infrastructure and industrial growth accelerates. Last Energy's use of proven reactor technology combined with proprietary steel containment systems is designed to streamline licensing and reduce construction timelines. Last Energy represents a new generation of nuclear developers focused on decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors with firm, emissions-free power. By standardizing and modularizing the entire plant through factory manufacturing, the company aims to bring predictable costs and schedules to a sector historically challenged by both, positioning SMRs as a practical climate solution at commercial scale.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Serve as primary lead for managing external engineering service firms, consultants, and specialist contractors throughout project lifecycles

Define scopes of work, technical deliverables, schedules, and quality expectations for external partners

Coordinate and prioritize engineering analysis tasks with third-party firms, including chemical, mechanical, electrical, and safety analysis tasks

Review, evaluate, and provide technical feedback on engineering work products from external firms to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal requirements

Act as a technical interface between external partners and internal engineering, project delivery, licensing, and operations teams to align work streams and resolve technical issues

Drive performance management of external partners using metrics, deliverable quality reviews, schedule tracking, and targeted corrective actions where needed

Lead contract and engagement governance in collaboration with Legal and Project Controls, ensuring deliverables are clearly defined and risks managed

Establish and maintain governance frameworks for managing external engineering work, including milestones, reporting cadence, quality gates, and change control

Identify opportunities to improve external engineering engagement processes, documentation standards, and cross-functional coordination

Support scenario and risk analyses related to external technical dependencies, integration challenges, and multi-discipline engineering interfaces

Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering

5-10 years of experience in technical project leadership, engineering, or engineering services coordination in complex, heavy tech, i.e. aerospace, robotics, or similar industrial/manufacturing environments

Demonstrated track record of successfully managing external engineering firms and consulting relationships on complex technical projects

Strong background reviewing and interpreting technical analyses, engineering deliverables, and modeling results

Excellent project coordination, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with experience aligning external and internal engineering teams

Experience developing scopes of work, technical requirements, and governance frameworks for external engineering contracts

Proven ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams and ensure on-time, high-quality delivery from third-party partners

Strong organizational skills with a solution-oriented mindset and attention to technical detail

Knowledge of engineering analysis tools, document control practices, and technical quality assurance standards is a plus