Advanced BBGN Mechanical Engineer

Naval Nuclear Laboratory•West Mifflin, PA

13d

About The Position

The Naval Nuclear Laboratory is seeking an engineer to help integrate a proven nuclear propulsion plant design into a first-of-a-kind battleship (BBGN). This hands-on, systems-level role brings together ship design, plant engineering, operations, and Navy decision-making. The engineer will contribute to conceptual studies and design decisions, support battleship-specific system integration, and help develop and assess concepts of operation for a single-plant surface combatant. The role also includes validating design compliance with surface-combatant and platform requirements, resolving nonconformances, and coordinating with the Lead Design Yard, BPMI, Navy representatives, and other engineering disciplines. The position is suited to someone who enjoys big-picture systems thinking, influencing early design, and working across organizational and technical boundaries. Naval Nuclear Laboratory supports the safety and reliability of U.S. naval nuclear reactors and trains the Sailors who operate them. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and, if selected, undergo a Federal background investigation and meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. Candidates must also pass a drug test under company policy and 10 CFR 707.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a related technical, engineering, or science field and at least 4 years of relevant experience; or a master's degree in such a field and at least 2 years of relevant experience; or a doctorate in such a field.
Alternatively, currently be an Advanced Reactor Training Engineer, Refueling Engineer, or Field (RPCO) Engineer at the Company.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter following a Federal background investigation.
Must be able to pass a drug test in compliance with company policy and 10 CFR 707.

Nice To Haves

Prior Navy experience with nuclear propulsion plant operations aboard a ship or at a prototype.
Background in submarine plant engineering or prior plant or prototype qualification.
Degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Naval Architecture/Marine, or Systems Engineering; other engineering degrees may be considered with relevant experience.
Self-starter who can structure ambiguous tasks and drive them to completion.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple parallel technical issues.
Good communication and technical writing skills, including clearly documenting analyses and presenting recommendations to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Participate in conceptual studies to inform Navy decisions about propulsion plant features, tradeoffs, and risks.
Support integration of battleship-specific systems into the propulsion plant.
Develop and refine concepts of operation for a single-plant surface combatant.
Validate design compliance with surface-combatant and platform requirements and identify and resolve nonconformances.
Coordinate with the battleship Lead Design Yard, BPMI, and Navy representatives to align propulsion plant integration with ship design and fleet needs.
Perform system analysis to evaluate the impacts of design decisions.
Coordinate with other engineering disciplines to support seamless propulsion plant integration into the overall ship design.