Mechanical Design Engineer – Reactor Internals (In-Vessel Shielding)

X-Energy•Rockville, MD

About The Position

X-energy LLC is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to be responsible for the engineering design, analysis, and development of the in-core shielding elements that comprise the Reactor Vessel Internals (RVI) for X-energy's advanced high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. This role supports the design lifecycle from concept development through detailed design, analysis, manufacturing support, testing, and commissioning, ensuring compliance with nuclear safety, quality, and regulatory requirements. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to develop shielding component designs that meet structural, thermal, manufacturing, and integration requirements within the reactor vessel. Success requires strong mechanical and nuclear design fundamentals, an understanding of complex assemblies, and the ability to balance performance, manufacturability, and nuclear safety requirements throughout the product development lifecycle.

Requirements

Typically, five years of experience in an engineering role required.
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, or related engineering discipline (e.g., nuclear aerospace, chemical, etc.) from an accredited institution required.
A master’s degree in engineering or related field (may include a combination of experience obtained through an academic institution, e.g., design projects, research, or design teams, as well as professional experience) may be in lieu of two years of experience.
A Ph.D. in engineering or related field (may include a combination of experience obtained through an academic institution, e.g., design projects, research, or design teams, as well as professional experience) may be in lieu of three years of experience.
Previous experience at X-energy exceeding performance standards may be in lieu of years of experience.
Proficiency with engineering hand calculations is required.
One plus years of demonstrated hands-on experience developing and delivering hardware or manufacturing processes in a production environment is required.
May include industry internship experience, hobby, or participation in collegiate engineering projects such as: Formula SAE, Baja SAE, Design Build Fly, Rocket Club, etc.
Hardware ownership including manufacturing and testing oversight.
Use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and product lifecycle management (PLM) software. E.g. UG/NX, SolidWorks, Pro-Engineer, Teamcenter, Windchill, or similar.
Designing and developing mechanical or fluid systems, assemblies, or components.

Nice To Haves

Prior professional experience in the commercial nuclear, naval nuclear, or advanced reactor industry is highly preferred.
Experience designing reactor internals, in-core structures, shielding components, graphite assemblies, or other reactor vessel internal components.
Familiarity with high-temperature reactor technologies, including gas-cooled reactors or graphite-moderated reactor systems.
Experience designing components subjected to combined thermal, structural, irradiation, and seismic loading.
Knowledge of nuclear materials used in reactor internals, including stainless steels, graphite, neutron shielding materials, and high-temperature alloys.
Experience developing mechanical designs in accordance with ASME Section III, NRC requirements, and nuclear quality assurance standards.
Experience supporting component qualification, manufacturing, testing, and design verification for safety-related nuclear hardware.
Experience working within multidisciplinary reactor design teams and coordinating interfaces between reactor core, vessel internals, structural, thermal-hydraulic, and systems engineering disciplines.

Responsibilities

Develop mechanical/physical concepts, design and support development of processes to create or identify structures, systems, and components (SSCs) for use in nuclear products or facilities with a focus on nuclear safety.
Identify, collect, and document applicable requirements, interfaces, design basis and criteria by coordinating with key stakeholders/systems engineers and support identifying applicable industry codes and standards and the direction of project leads and systems engineers.
Planning and performing the analysis required to assess aspects of the SSCs to ensure they can perform their intended functions and meet technical specifications and design requirements.
Perform computations utilizing hand calculations and analytical tools for structural, thermal, hydraulic, and other scoping calculations as required at the direction of project leads and systems engineers to ensure SSCs can meet technical requirements.
Integrate design activities across engineering team members, partners, and suppliers and perform supporting scoping and sizing calculations to downselect design features to meet design requirements using guidance from consensus codes and standards.
Create and maintain CAD-generated engineering models of reactor SSCs.
Develop innovative mechanical solutions to refine and deploy concepts, technologies, and designs associated with X-energy developed reactors, including pressure vessels and piping, reactor internals, nuclear fuel, and high temperature materials such as graphite.
Support the assessment of SSCs for manufacturability as well as assembly and integration considerations at the direction of project leads.
Write and develop design documentation including design basis documents, technical reports, calculations, and drawings in accordance with applicable procedures.
Develop Verification and Validation (V&V) plans for analytical tools and support qualification of toolset.
Perform work in accordance with X-energy quality procedures for design and configuration management to ensure project quality requirements are met.
Provide independent reviews and acceptance reviews of engineering deliverables and data.
Maintain professional demeanor and behavior at all times in all forms of communication.
Perform other duties as assigned by manager.