Manager, Materials Testing & Characterization

TerraPower.•Everett, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits. TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Materials Testing & Characterization Manager This position is focused on managing and technically supporting test programs for materials in support of TerraPower’s advanced nuclear reactor project. In this role, you will manage a dedicated team of engineers developing, executing, analyzing, and reporting on materials test programs to support reactor material selection and Natrium design and licensing. This position also supports the Manager in project scheduling and reporting activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of related experience or Master’s degree with minimum 6 years of related experience; or a PhD and with a minimum of 3 years of related experience. A degree in Materials Science/Engineering, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required
Proven ability to lead and collaborate with a diverse team is required
Advanced knowledge and experience in nuclear quality programs, and configuration management principles, practices, and tools or similar quality programs is required
Ability to manage numerous competing priorities concurrently during a given work week and work with minimal direction to solve multi-disciplinary problems is required
Experience supervising personnel performing materials testing or characterization work for nuclear power applications or other related field is strongly desired
Experience working to ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B control programs, or other NRC and DOE regulatory frameworks is strongly desired
Candidate must be a self-starter and possess ability to perform both individually and as a team contributor; proven ability to direct small teams with minimal oversight is preferred
Proven track record in planning, budgeting, and execution of testing or characterization activities is required
Experience with collaboration, workflow, and planning tools, such as Atlassian Confluence/JIRA, Primavera P6, or other related tools is required
Effective verbal and written communication skills is required
Nuclear Industry knowledge / experience is strongly desired
Knowledge of metallic materials testing and characterization is required
Knowledge of metallic fuel and/or sodium fast reactor technologies is strongly desired
Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems is required
The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.
This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1.
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 supervising personnel performing materials testing or characterization work for nuclear power applications or other related field is strongly desired
Experience working to ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B control programs, or other NRC and DOE regulatory frameworks is strongly desired
Nuclear Industry knowledge / experience is strongly desired
Knowledge of metallic fuel and/or sodium fast reactor technologies is strongly desired

Responsibilities

Directly manage a diverse team of individual contributors supporting ongoing materials testing and characterization work
Support individual contributors in developing, deploying, and executing materials testing programs in support of the Natrium reactor’s programmatic objectives
Maintain in-laboratory presence to provide direct, immediate feedback and support to individual contributors
Oversees and manages third-party suppliers conducting materials testing to ensure quality, compliance, and timely delivery
Plan, monitor, and manage task progress, including defining required scope, maximizing efficiency of individual contributors, and ensuring complete and accurate work execution
Work with the Manager and Project Manager to develop and maintain the project schedule and budget
Effectively communicate project expectations and assignments to team members and management
Ensure compliance to procedures, standards and regulatory criteria
Ensure that engineering work is performed with a high level of integrity through adherence to work processes and technical reviews or approvals of team deliverables
Communicate emerging technical issues with management and work with both the individual contributors and management to resolve efficiently
Demonstrate visible, continuous leadership in the areas of safety and quality
Interface with regulators, stakeholders, and customers on materials engineering design and testing issues
Coordinate with the Plant Materials and Core Materials Qualification groups to develop material technologies supporting the Natrium Demonstration and future commercial reactor concepts
Develop and maintain engineering staffing and resource plans, evaluating team skillsets and adjusting staffing to meet long-range needs and project priorities
Support recruitment, onboarding, and integration of new engineering personnel, ensuring smooth assimilation into project processes and expectations
Support the development of direct reports through mentoring, training, and challenging assignments