Senior Safety Methods Engineer

Our client is looking for a Senior Safety Methods Engineer. This contract role supports the design and licensing of an advanced reactor demonstration project, with a primary focus on developing thermal hydraulic analysis methods for Licensing Basis Events analyses.

Location: Bellevue, WA - Remote
Duration: 12 Months
Compensation: $37 - $74 per hour.
Additional Compensation: This position is not eligible for bonus or incentive compensation.
Benefits: Benefits available to eligible employees or consultants may include medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid sick leave, retirement savings plans, and other employer sponsored programs.

US citizens and those authorized to work in the US are encouraged to apply.

Work sponsorship is not currently available.

Summary:
The Senior Safety Methods Engineer will join a growing team responsible for developing and improving methods used to perform safety analyses in support of advanced reactor design and licensing activities. The contractor will work on system-level thermal hydraulic method development, including numerical approaches, closure model formulation, and method qualification. This role involves cross-disciplinary collaboration to ensure thermal hydraulic methods integrate effectively with plant design, safety analysis, and coupled simulation workflows.

Key Responsibilities:
- Develop system-level thermal hydraulic analysis methods, including modeling strategies, numerical approaches, and closure models.
- Perform steady-state and transient system-level analyses to characterize model behavior, assess method performance, and define method fidelity requirements.
- Support method qualification, including numerical verification, applicability envelopes, and performance characterization.
- Formulate and integrate closure models and empirical correlations (e.g., heat transfer, pressure drop, mixing, component-level physics) into existing analysis frameworks.
- Identify modeling gaps and support method enhancement using sensitivity studies.
- Develop automated workflows and tools for model setup, execution, post-processing, and repeatable method application.
- Document modeling methodologies, assumptions, method applicability, and numerical performance for design processes and licensing support activities.
- Work across disciplines to ensure thermal hydraulic methods integrate effectively with plant design, safety analysis, and coupled simulation workflows.
- Apply and improve quality assurance and NQA-1 modeling practices, ensuring traceability, configuration control, and reproducibility of methods.
- Contribute subject matter expertise to other engineering activities including system transient code development and maintenance, reactor transient analyses, code benchmarking with integral and separate effect tests, scaling analysis, and verification and validation activities.

Qualifications:
- Degree in Mechanical, Nuclear, Chemical Engineering, or similar field, with 3+ years of experience in system-level thermal hydraulic modeling and method development for nuclear or complex energy systems.
- Demonstrated experience in developing or improving analysis methods, including numerical scheme development, closure model formulation, and stability/accuracy optimization strategies.
- Experience performing system-level thermal hydraulic analyses using tools such as RELAP5-3D, GOTHIC, SAS, or equivalent, with the ability to extend or tailor modeling approaches within these frameworks.
- Strong foundation in thermal fluids and reactor system behavior, including complex thermal hydraulic phenomena relevant to advanced reactor designs.
- Experience in sensitivity analyses and model gap identification that support method development priorities.
- Familiarity with scientific programming and workflow automation (e.g., Python, MATLAB).
- High degree of integrity, open communication, and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.

Nice to Have:
- Familiarity with NQA-1 quality assurance for modeling workflows, including documented methodologies, configuration control, and model traceability.
- Strong analytical thinking with clear technical communication skills.
- Ability to support multiple method development efforts simultaneously.
- Experience with software commercial-grade dedication or software verification and validation activities.

About Hansell Tierney:
Hansell Tierney is one of the premier staffing and recruiting companies in the Pacific Northwest. Launched in 2001, we are a woman-owned business that serves and staffs Northwest organizations by doing things the right way, not just the easiest way. Hansell Tierney partners with candidates and clients to match the best candidates with interesting local opportunities. We navigate every relationship with the highest level of discretion and service while holding ourselves accountable to our promises. Our business thrives on our deep understanding of the job market and our ability to skillfully tailor our recruitment process to meet our clients' unique needs.

This Organization Participates in E-Verify
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

Compensation and Benefits Disclosure
The compensation range listed above represents the expected range for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on factors including experience, skills, internal equity, and geographic location.

Benefits available to eligible employees or consultants may include medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid sick leave, retirement savings plans, paid time off, and other employer-sponsored programs.