Senior Engineer, Reactor Vessel

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

The Reactor Vessel System team is seeking a highly motivated Senior Engineer to join the growing Reactor Systems department. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work directly on the design, analysis, integration, fabrication, and deployment of reactor vessel structures, systems, and components for a first-of-a-kind fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor.

Reporting directly to the Head of Reactor Systems, the position will support the development of reactor vessel hardware and interfaces, including the vessel shell, penetrations, supports, closures, structural interfaces, and related mechanical components. This position requires a strong aptitude for mechanical design, systems engineering, high-temperature structural design, engineering analysis, and component lifecycle management. The role will regularly interface with multidisciplinary teams including, nuclear design, thermal hydraulics, fuels and materials, safety analysis, remote handling, manufacturing, quality, plant design integration, and instrumentation and controls.

You will work closely with adjacent reactor system teams to mature reactor vessel design requirements, resolve technical and spatial interfaces, support design trades, and deliver hardware that meets safety, performance, manufacturability, inspection, and maintainability objectives.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage design scope for reactor vessel components, interfaces, and hardware packages.
• Develop and maintain reactor vessel requirements, design bases, interface definitions, verification plans, and supporting technical documentation.
• Lead the mechanical design and technical execution of assigned reactor vessel structures, components, and interfaces, ensuring compliance with system requirements and design objectives.
• Coordinate with mechanical, civil, I&C, safety analysis, manufacturing, and plant integration teams to define spatial, thermal, structural, and functional interfaces.
• Lead or support design integration reviews to ensure reactor vessel and interfacing SSC designs are compatible, constructible, inspectable, and maintainable.
• Prepare and review mechanical engineering documentation and perform or guide supporting analyses, including drawings, design reports, test plans, memos, specifications, calculations, technical reports, thermal and structural analyses, pressure-boundary evaluations, FMEAs, and other mechanical design assessments.
• Assess reactor vessel compliance with applicable codes and standards such as ASME, ANSI, ASTM, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, and other relevant standards.
• Engage with manufacturing, assembly, suppliers, and operations teams to support reactor vessel fabrication, inspection, installation, testing, and maintenance, including review of fabrication drawings, manufacturing processes, inspection plans, material certifications, and nonconformance dispositions.
• Maintain assigned design records in accordance with configuration management, document control, and technical change control processes.
• Lead technical interactions with suppliers for assigned reactor vessel components, including specification development, technical evaluations, manufacturing support, acceptance criteria, and resolution of technical issues.
• Develop technical estimates, identify technical risks, and provide engineering input supporting project planning, cost, schedule, and execution decisions.-
• Provide independent engineering recommendations and technical decision support within assigned design scope, identifying risks, assumptions, and recommended mitigation strategies.
• Participate in peer design reviews, technical audits, hazard and failure analyses, and design readiness reviews to ensure compliance with quality and performance objectives.
• Provide technical mentorship, design guidance, and engineering coaching to junior engineers and interns while promoting engineering rigor and best practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related discipline is required.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in mechanical design, nuclear component design, pressure vessel design, high-temperature systems, structural components, or complex hardware development is required.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading design, analysis, fabrication support, testing, or qualification of pressure vessels, reactor vessels, or other safety-significant mechanical systems is required.
• Experience developing and reviewing engineering documentation, including mechanical drawings, specifications, calculations, design reports, test plans, and technical reports is required.
• Experience with reactor component fabrication and lifecycle management processes, including equipment qualification, inspection, testing, maintenance, or related programs, consistent with qualifications in the provided examples is desired.
• Experience working to a quality standard such as ASME NQA-1, ISO 9001, or equivalent quality program requirements is desired.
• Familiarity with applicable codes and standards such as ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII, Section III, ANSI, ASTM, ASME Y14.5, or related standards is desired.
• Experience with design for manufacturing, design for assembly, dimensional inspection, GD&T, welding, machining, or fabrication of large metallic components is desired.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, structural mechanics, pressure-boundary design, thermal expansion, bolted joints, weldments, and metallic component behavior.
• Knowledge of high-temperature design considerations, including thermal stress, creep, fatigue, creep-fatigue, material degradation, or irradiation effects.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, AVEVA, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with engineering analysis tools and methods for thermal and structural modeling.
• Knowledge of FEA methods and ability to apply analysis results to mechanical design decisions.
• Ability to interpret and apply industry codes and standards to reactor vessel and pressure-retaining component design.
• Knowledge of system safety and reliability analysis methods such as FMEA, HAZOP, and FTA.
• Knowledge of configuration management, design control, interface control, and technical change control processes.
• Ability to translate system-level requirements into component-level requirements, interfaces, and verification activities.
• Working knowledge of supplier oversight, procurement specifications, and technical acceptance criteria for engineered components.
• Ability to apply systems thinking to evaluate interdependencies across reactor subsystems.
• Strong analytical problem-solving abilities to resolve complex design issues efficiently.
• Flexibility to consistently deliver tangible results in a rapid and dynamic work environment.
• Self-motivated with strong time management skills and an ownership mentality.
• Capability to mentor and train junior engineers and interns.
• Dedication to safety and risk management consistent with the expectations of designing and deploying components important to the safe operation of a nuclear reactor.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage, and transfer knowledge.
• Excellent verbal, written communication/presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges, and issues.

Physical Conditions

• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting, for prolonged periods.
• Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 30 pounds in all directions.
• Working with hand tools to assemble equipment and hardware as necessary.
• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts, and similar equipment as needed.

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment.
• Laboratory, manufacturing, assembly, or test facility environment.
• Supplier, construction, or installation site environment as needed.

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs.
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions.
• Wearing proper PPE, including face mask, face shield, gloves, safety shoes, or other required protective equipment.

Travel

• Some travel may be required (20%), including travel to Kairos Power sites, suppliers, fabrication shops, test facilities, or installation sites.

Additional Requirements

• Occasionally requires schedule flexibility.
• Occasionally requires extended hours to support critical project timelines, fabrication activities, testing, or deployment milestones.

The salary range for this position is $140,600 to $165,400 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that maybe used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

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About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
• Paid Vacation
• 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply.