Mechanical Engineer - Fuel Recycling

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

8d•$120,000 - $170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Mechanical Engineer supporting Oklo's nuclear waste treatment systems, you will develop waste processing equipment from concept through deployment. This role involves defining process and mechanical requirements, collaborating with equipment vendors, and ensuring systems are practical, maintainable, and ready for operation in a nuclear environment. You will translate waste processing objectives into equipment requirements, operating concepts, vendor specifications, and acceptance criteria, while evaluating designs for maintainability, reliability, contamination control, remote operation, and regulatory compliance. Success requires sound mechanical engineering judgment, an understanding of industrial process equipment, and the ability to recognize when a design is overly complex, under-specified, or not ready for production use. This role on the waste engineering team works closely with process engineering, mechanical design, controls, safety, radiation protection, licensing, procurement, operations, and external vendors to deliver integrated waste treatment systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field
Minimum of 5 years of relevant engineering experience
Experience developing, specifying, integrating, or implementing industrial process equipment
Experience working with equipment vendors, technical specifications, procurement packages, or design reviews
Experience with 3D CAD tools, 2D fabrication drawings, equipment specifications, and controlled design documentation
Familiarity with P&IDs, mechanical equipment layouts, process equipment interfaces, material handling concepts, and vendor design packages
Strong mechanical engineering judgment, including practical understanding of maintainability, reliability, fabrication, inspection, and failure modes
Experience coordinating work across multiple engineering disciplines
Ability to produce clear, traceable technical documentation in support of design development, procurement, safety review, or licensing activities

Nice To Haves

Experience in nuclear, chemical processing, mining, manufacturing, or other highly regulated industrial facilities
Experience in commercial nuclear, DOE, advanced reactor, fuel cycle, waste treatment, or high-reliability industrial projects
Experience with radioactive waste processing, packaging, containerization, storage, or disposal systems in a hot-cell environment
Experience developing equipment for size reduction, compaction, filtration, solidification, packaging, container handling, drum handling, cask/canister interfaces, or remote/assisted maintenance
Familiarity with waste characterization, waste acceptance criteria, contamination control, ALARA principles, or radiological work planning
Familiarity with radioactive waste classification, regulation, or nuclear material packaging requirements
Experience with design for manufacturability, design for automation, or design for remote handling and maintainability
Experience with Solidworks
Experience supporting hazard analysis, failure modes analysis, commissioning, readiness reviews, or startup of industrial process systems

Responsibilities

Develop mechanical requirements, equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, and operating concepts for radioactive waste treatment systems.
Translate process requirements into practical equipment solutions for waste processing, packaging, storage, and material handling.
Evaluate vendor designs for functionality, maintainability, reliability, contamination control, remote operation, and lifecycle performance.
Develop and review equipment layouts, P&IDs, material handling flows, tooling concepts, and mechanical interfaces.
Identify opportunities to simplify designs, improve operability, reduce maintenance burden, and increase production readiness.
Support procurement by finding relevant vendors, preparing technical specifications, evaluating vendor proposals, and reviewing design deliverables.
Lead or participate in multidisciplinary design reviews and drive technical action items to closure.
Develop engineering documentation including design bases, interface definitions, design evaluations, and technical reports.
Support hazard analyses, licensing activities, commissioning, and facility integration.