Materials Engineer

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

9h•$120,000 - $175,000•Remote

About The Position

At Oklo, we are building advanced nuclear systems that require thoughtful, fast, and defensible materials decisions across a wide range of environments - from sodium-compatible seals to structural components exposed to high-radiation environments. We are seeking an experienced materials engineer to own and drive the material selection process across Oklo’s reactor systems, ensuring decisions are made efficiently, consistently, and with strong technical and regulatory grounding. This role is a high-impact individual contributor position that sits at the intersection of design engineering, materials science, and regulatory engineering. You will serve as a technical authority and decision-maker for material selection, while also building and maintaining the systems that allow these decisions to scale across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in materials science, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field
5+ years of experience in materials engineering, with a focus on material selection, evaluation, or qualification
Demonstrated experience applying engineering judgment to support material selection decisions in complex or high-consequence systems
Strong understanding of material behavior in demanding environments (e.g., high temperature, corrosive environments, radiation, or similar)
Familiarity with common material degradation mechanisms (e.g., corrosion, creep, embrittlement, fatigue)
Experience working cross-functionally to support engineering design decisions
Ability to clearly communicate technical recommendations, including assumptions, risks, and tradeoffs
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to document technical rationale in a clear and structured manner

Nice To Haves

Experience in nuclear, aerospace, energy, or other high-reliability industries
Familiarity with nuclear materials considerations, including radiation effects, sodium environments, or high-temperature systems
Experience supporting or interfacing with regulatory or licensing activities
Familiarity with ASME codes, material standards, or qualification frameworks
Experience developing or applying structured approaches to material selection across multiple systems or projects
Background in material testing, characterization, or analysis
Experience interpreting and applying data from literature, test programs, or material databases
Experience contributing to or working with engineering databases or knowledge management systems
Exposure to design for manufacturability and material supply considerations
Coding or data analysis experience (e.g., Python or similar tools)

Responsibilities

Own and implement Oklo’s materials selection and governance process, ensuring fast, safe, and standardized decision-making across reactor systems
Contribute to and help evolve Oklo’s preferred materials database and related tools, ensuring material knowledge is captured, structured, and accessible over time
Serve as a technical authority for material selection by: Developing and communicating recommendations for new material use; Reviewing deviations from preferred materials and advising on risks and tradeoffs; Guiding teams toward proven, scalable, and defensible solutions
Evaluate new materials using structured engineering approaches, including: Assessing behavior under relevant operating conditions; Identifying key degradation mechanisms and associated risks; Leveraging available data and engineering judgment to inform recommendations
Collaborate cross-functionally to support design decisions and ensure alignment with engineering, safety, and regulatory considerations
Support regulatory and licensing efforts by ensuring material selections are technically justified and defensible
Identify material knowledge gaps and inform testing or analysis needs