Core Structural Materials Engineering Manager

TerraPower.•Bellevue, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company focused on developing advanced nuclear reactors and medical isotopes. The company aims to raise global living standards through affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly nuclear energy. TerraPower is seeking motivated professionals interested in advanced nuclear reactor research and development, influencing the nuclear power landscape, and contributing to the production of medical isotopes. The Core Structural Materials Engineering Manager will report directly to the Senior Manager, Core Material Qualification. This role is responsible for managing the development and qualification of Natrium reactor core assembly materials, establishing a supply chain, and providing material performance data to the design organization. The manager will lead a team of engineers in developing material performance tools and conducting analysis and testing for TerraPower’s advanced nuclear reactor project. The position also involves supporting the senior manager with project scheduling and reporting.

Requirements

8+ years of related nuclear experience and a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline from an accredited university; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years experience; or equivalent experience.
Proven track record in successful management and leadership with 2 years of previous supervisory or mentoring experience or equivalent people leadership experience.
A solid understanding of metallurgy including fabrication and thermomechanical processing of ferrous (e.g., ferritic-martensitic steels) and nonferrous (e.g., nickel-base, refractory) alloys.
Advanced knowledge and experience in nuclear quality programs, design control, and configuration management principles, practices, and tools.
Experience working in stringent quality systems (e.g., ISO-9001, AS9100) is required.
Self-starter and possess ability to perform both individually and as a team contributor; proven ability to direct small teams with minimal oversight.
A high degree of trust and integrity, able to communicate openly, and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.
Proven track record in planning, budgeting, and execution of testing or modeling activities.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required.
Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Nice To Haves

Experience working to ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B highly desired.
A general understanding of the design of reactor plant and related systems and experience with sodium cooled fast reactors would be considered a plus.

Responsibilities

Oversee the development and deployment of material performance models for metallic materials used to fabricate reactor core assembly components.
Approve material property datasets generated via Qualification of Existing Data per ASME NQA-1-2015.
Oversee materials test programs to validate models of material performance and ensure materials development and testing efforts meet programmatic objectives of the Natrium reactor.
Provide materials engineering support for the procurement of engineered components and systems, including leading technical development of suppliers to increase the technology readiness level of key components.
Oversee development, optimization, and qualification of new materials for sodium fast reactor applications.
Coordinate with the Fuel Development and Qualification, Fuel Fabrication and Core Design groups to develop fuel technologies supporting Natrium Kemmerer Unit 1 and future commercial reactor concepts.
Inform and support the licensing process for advanced reactor fuel.
Work with the Senior Manager and Project Management team to develop and maintain the schedule and budget.
Manage the Core Materials Qualification team to deliver project work within schedule and cost constraints.
Communicate the status of engineering progress to the team, stakeholders, and management.
Assure compliance to procedures, standards, and regulatory criteria.
Ensure that engineering work is performed with a high level of integrity through rigorous enforcement of work processes and technical reviews of team deliverables.
Demonstrate visible, continuous leadership in the areas of safety and Quality.
Establish and enforce procedures to ensure a safe working environment.
Implement quality assurance policy and requirements for the project.
Interface with regulators, stakeholders, and customers on materials engineering design issues.
Recommend staff changes (new additions, replacements due to attrition, de-staffing) and work with Human Resources to manage approved staffing changes.
Support the development of direct reports through mentoring, training, and challenging assignments.