Fuel Fabrication Senior Manager

TerraPower LLC. • Richland, WA

7d • $184,367 - $245,823

About The Position

TerraPower is seeking a Fuel Fabrication Senior Manager to join the Natrium Fuel Manufacturing team. Reporting to the Director of Fuel Manufacturing, this position will lead the development and delivery of fuel fabrication capabilities needed to support the Natrium initial fuel load and subsequent production.

The role is accountable for technical integration of HALEU feedstock metallization, fuel-component manufacturing, fuel assembly fabrication, process qualification, and production scale-up. It provides technical leadership for facility design, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness, partnering with project delivery, Quality, Licensing, Supply Chain, Operations, and external fabrication partners. The position requires an experienced nuclear manufacturing leader who can manage multidisciplinary teams, direct complex technical work, and integrate facility, process, product, supplier, regulatory, and schedule requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering, materials science and engineering, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in nuclear fuel, nuclear materials, or nuclear manufacturing. A relevant master’s degree may be credited for up to two years of experience, and a doctorate may be credited for up to four years.
• Demonstrated management experience in the nuclear industry.
• Experience leading and developing teams of engineers or other technical professionals.
• Experience in nuclear fuel qualification, manufacturing-process development, or production.
• Experience developing or scaling manufacturing processes from laboratory or pilot scale to qualified production.
• Experience managing or technically directing vendors and contractors performing nuclear-grade component fabrication.
• Experience with supplier qualification, source surveillance or inspection, nonconformance disposition, corrective action, and technical acceptance.
• Working knowledge of engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, material specifications, and controlled procurement documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate complex technical work across engineering, Quality, Licensing, Operations, Supply Chain, and project-delivery organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical and programmatic issues to senior leadership, regulators, partners, and technical teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, prioritization, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to operate independently, manage multiple priorities, and lead resolution of complex problems under schedule constraints.
• High degree of trust and integrity, open communication, respect, and a desire to foster teamwork.
• Must meet applicable ANSI/ANS 3.1 qualification requirements, including minimum education and experience criteria and relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in management, nuclear engineering, materials science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field.
• Technical expertise in fast-reactor metallic fuel.
• Experience with HALEU conversion or metallization processes.
• Experience delivering nuclear manufacturing facilities through design, construction, commissioning, startup, and operational readiness.
• Familiarity with applicable ASTM, ASME, ANSI, and nuclear quality-assurance requirements.
• Experience with nuclear material control and accountability, criticality safety, radiological controls, and safeguards requirements.
• Experience managing integrated cost, schedule, risk, and staffing plans for a major technical program.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of the integrated strategy for HALEU metallization, fuel-component manufacturing, and final fuel assembly fabrication.
• Provide Fuel Manufacturing technical leadership for the design, construction, commissioning, startup, and operational readiness of metallization and fuel fabrication facilities.
• Serve as engineering owner for fuel products and manufacturing processes from metal feedstock through completed fuel assemblies, overseeing requirements, specifications, drawings, process changes, and technical acceptance.
• Lead development, demonstration, scale-up, and qualification of manufacturing processes to meet production-rate, quality, safety, and reliability objectives.
• Collaborate with Quality to ensure fabrication activities, suppliers, records, and deliverables comply with applicable quality-assurance and fuel acceptance requirements.
• Interface with reactor design, neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, materials, and safety-analysis teams to ensure fuel material properties, manufacturing tolerances, and process variability are appropriately represented in design and safety analyses.
• Collaborate with testing and operations teams to use laboratory and pilot-scale activities to advance manufacturing maturity.
• Provide technical direction and oversight to fuel fabrication partners, vendors, and contractors, including supplier qualification, source surveillance, technical issue resolution, nonconformance disposition, and corrective action.
• Monitor manufacturing and supplier performance using appropriate schedule, quality, readiness, and production metrics.
• Identify and proactively mitigate technical, schedule, quality, capacity, and supply-chain risks, and develop and execute recovery plans when performance deviates from program objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team, with accountability for performance management, goal setting, technical capability, and career development.
• Develop and execute staffing, organizational-development, and succession plans that support program scale-up and long-term operational continuity.
• Promote a strong nuclear safety culture, disciplined decision-making, continuous learning, and application of nuclear-industry and advanced-manufacturing best practices.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, manufacturability, process capability, schedule performance, and cost.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Eligibility to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments.
• Comprehensive medical and wellness benefits, including medical, vision, dental, life and disability, and gender affirmation benefits.
• Parental leave.
• 401k plan.
• 21 days of annually accrued paid time off.
• 10 paid holidays.
• Relocation assistance.
• Professional and educational support opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior