At X-energy, Harlan has responsibility for execution of X-energy’s Project under the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. This includes Xe-100 commercial reactor development, TRISO ceramic-coated fuel development, NRC licensing, operational readiness, and nuclear power plant construction planning. In his previous role as VP, Government Research and Development, he managed a portfolio that included the DOD transportable micro-reactor for military base operational energy needs and NASA/DOE space nuclear applications (nuclear thermal propulsion and lunar fission surface power). He has led X-energy’s efforts to capture multiple government contracts, including: DOE’s industry funding opportunities for micro-reactors, Xe-100 high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR), and the design of X-energy’s commercial Fuel Fabrication Facility.

Before joining X-energy in 2015, he was Senior Vice President at Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT), where he led business development and several NASA engineering services contracts in program operations, resource management, task order management, and budget tracking. His responsibilities included being Program Manager for the NASA Omnibus Multidiscipline Engineering Services contract ($550M value), which successfully supported various NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) spaceflight and ground-systems development programs. Before that, he was the Mechanical Systems Engineering Services IIA Contract Program Manager ($750M value), with over 630 engineers, designers and technicians supporting multiple NASA programs and research initiatives. Prior to SGT, Harlan served in various director-level roles at Orbital Sciences Corporation, Fairchild Space Company, and GE Astro Space with responsibility for developing and delivering components for earth science, space science, and commercial communications satellites.

He holds a BS in Aerospace & Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the University of Maryland-College Park.