Lead Mechanical Engineer – Handling and Special Components

Lead Mechanical Engineer – Handling and Special Components

Requirements

• S. degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
• 10+ years of experience developing and delivering hardware for uniquely demanding applications
• Expertise in high-temperature systems
• Proven team player with excellent verbal, written communication/presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work within a highly collaborative team
• Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others
• Ability to proactively collect, manage, and transfer knowledge
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges, and issues

Responsibilities

• Applies lifecycle design practices, including maintainability, inspectability, and decommissioning considerations, during component development
• Acts as a technical liaison with vendors and suppliers to ensure design feasibility and manufacturability of specialized components
• Develops interface control documentation for integration of remote handling components into larger plant systems
• Develops structured test protocols, defines acceptance criteria, and coordinates formal test readiness reviews with QA and systems engineering
• Provides technical support to project scheduling and cost estimating teams to ensure design activities are adequately represented in project plans
• Implements design revisions based on test outcomes or operational feedback
• Ensures compliance with nuclear industry regulations, safety standards, and applicable codes
• Implements robust risk assessments and reliability analyses for heated and mechanical support components
• Contributes to design basis documentation and regulatory submittals
• Maintains up-to-date design documentation in accordance with configuration management practices and digital engineering standards
• Develops remote handling techniques and processes that enable component repairs with minimal impact on plant operations
• Leads conceptual reviews and physical demonstrations of remote handling approaches through iterative design, build, and test cycles
• Collaborates with engineering and remote handling teams to shape online and offline reactor maintenance strategies
• Tracks testing and demonstration opportunities that align with reactor schedules, and communicate proposals to related teams and leadership
• Conceptualizes integrated solutions supported by execution plans for rapid demonstration
• Participates in inspections, quality checks, pre-commissioning evaluations, installations, shakedown, tuning, hot commissioning, and other activities to verify performance
• Collaborates with Engineering Teams, Laboratory and Shop Staff, Materials Teams, and industry partners to organize inputs and charter accelerated projects for novel hardware systems
• Publishes engineering reports documenting design details, test results, and lessons learned
• Shares knowledge, experience, and methods with colleagues to foster a high-performing team
• Mentor junior engineers in design and testing of prototype systems
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating mechanical and electrical systems for remote operations is desirable
• Experience with molten salt or advanced reactor systems is a plus
• Familiarity with data acquisition platforms (e.g., LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python) is a plus
• Experience in nuclear, aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries is desirable
• Knowledge of radiation effects on materials and material degradation in extreme environments is desirable
• Strong background in low voltage electrical systems, optical systems, and efficient packaging
• Familiarity with design and operation of pressure systems and fluid conveyance systems
• Broad experience with power electronics such as servos, motors, electromagnets
• Familiarity with non-destructive inspection and analysis techniques
• Working knowledge of ASME codes and piping standards is a plus
• Experience as a technical mentor