Materials Engineer, Ceramics

Antares • Los Angeles, CA

11d • $115,000 - $185,000 • Onsite

About The Position

At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.

Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Los Alamos, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. Antares has raised over $130M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $13M in government funding.

As the Fuels and Ceramics Engineer you will be in charge of development and qualification for all fuel and ceramics materials in the reactor. This will consist of developing experiments, processes, and quality control as well as working with vendors and collaborators to identify and rectify critical gaps in material behavior at our operating conditions. This position requires a deep understanding of the fundamentals of ceramic materials as well as general materials characterization methods. The ideal candidate will apply fundamental knowledge of ceramics to the practical applications of manufacturing in a fast-paced environment while also pushing innovation for the next generation of these materials – driving Antares to be a recognized leader in nuclear materials.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering or a related physics-based field.
• 2+ years of experience in materials science and engineering.
• Proficiency in optical and electron microscopy as well as mechanical property evaluation.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated expertise in TRISO fuel characterization and manufacturing or related coating processes.
• Strong understanding of safety standards, testing protocols, and highly regulated industries.
• Expert in testing and analysis methods for fuel and ceramic materials.
• Exceptional communication skills to work effectively across teams and convey technical information to non-specialists.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and qualification for ceramic materials in the reactor, including lifetime testing, cross-institutional collaboration, and property evaluation.
• Design and conduct physical, thermal, and mechanical testing of materials that replicates the reactor environment.
• Employ statistical methods to systematically evaluate effects of process variables and environmental effects on materials properties.
• Materials characterization including root cause investigations of failure modes.
• Interface with manufacturing, neutronics, mechanical, testing, and quality engineers to integrate materials into the overall system, define limits to operating conditions based on material properties, and optimize processes related to fuel and ceramic materials.

What This Job Offers

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