Mechanical Engineer Level 4/5

Idaho National Laboratory•Idaho Falls, ID

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Idaho National Laboratory is hiring a Mechanical Engineer for its Reactor Project Engineering team. The role supports the design, development, testing, and verification of complex electrical, mechanical, and/or software systems and components using systems engineering principles. The engineer analyzes project plans, establishes operational objectives and system functions, decomposes requirements, evaluates design alternatives, and identifies opportunities to integrate technologies and develop new solutions. The position serves as a technical authority and cross-project resource for requirements management, configuration control, and systems documentation, and may support multiple concurrent reactor and facility projects. The position is based at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), an advanced nuclear research and development complex. The team works a 4x10 schedule, with Fridays off. The role uses digital engineering practices and tools throughout the project lifecycle, including requirements management, model-based systems engineering, product lifecycle management, collaborative review platforms, and AI-assisted design review. Work includes managing requirements and document baselines, maintaining traceability across databases and documents, developing automation tools, supporting risk and reliability models, preparing technical and safety-basis documentation, creating system architecture and design artifacts, and coordinating multidisciplinary technical reviews. The engineer also provides technical guidance and mentorship to colleagues and helps ensure work complies with applicable DOE requirements and regulations. This is a multi-level posting; placement at Level 4 or Level 5 depends on the candidate’s experience and skills. The position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. It is a testing-designated position requiring pre-employment and periodic drug testing. The listed pay ranges are $114,360–$234,336 for Level 4 and $137,076–$281,196 for Level 5; compensation decisions take education, relevant experience, and other credentials into account.

Requirements

Level 4: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or another related technical discipline and 9 years of relevant experience; or an advanced degree in mechanical engineering or another related degree and 6 or more years of relevant experience. A closely related field from an ABET-accredited program is also specified.
Level 5: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or another related technical discipline and 14 years of relevant experience; or an advanced degree in mechanical engineering or another related degree and 8 or more years of relevant experience. A closely related field from an ABET-accredited program is also specified.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for this clearance.
Submit to a pre-employment drug screen and periodic drug testing during employment.
Ability to perform the physical functions of the role, including frequent standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, keyboarding, handling materials, manipulating tools, reaching, operating job-related equipment, and driving; occasional lifting or moving of up to 30 pounds without assistance.
Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform essential functions and interact with the public.

Responsibilities

Apply systems engineering principles to the engineering design process, including requirements development, decomposition, verification, and lifecycle traceability.
Develop, implement, and integrate systems engineering principles throughout the project and system lifecycle, including systems and organizational integration, road mapping, and testing.
Use requirements management, product lifecycle management, and collaborative review tools on assigned projects.
Create, revise, and manage configuration baselines for System Design Descriptions, Functional and Operational Requirements, Concepts of Operations, and Code of Record documents.
Reconcile discrepancies among requirements databases, document control systems, and source documents, maintaining synchronization and traceability.
Develop and apply macros, scripts, and database tools to automate document generation, formatting, difference reporting, and requirements management.
Support risk analysis and reliability models using tools and methods such as RAAML and MBSE/SysML, integrating relevant data sources into assessments.
Develop and apply AI-assisted digital engineering workflows for completeness checks, design reviews, and comparisons of requirements with design output binders; evaluate and recommend AI tools.
Support development of concepts of operations and identify high-level functions and detailed requirements for projects.
Develop and implement graded systems engineering approaches and processes to meet program and customer needs.
Draft, edit, and maintain technical specifications, requirements documents, and safety-basis documentation in alignment with applicable standards and regulations.
Create and interpret system architecture artifacts, interface definitions, digital thread documentation, and 3D models to communicate system design and boundaries.
Author or co-author engineering specifications and manage document change requests, comment resolution, and release readiness.
Develop control system concepts, instrumentation and P&ID diagrams, and related technical design artifacts.
Create and administer technical document reviews, coordinate reviewer input, and resolve comments across multidisciplinary stakeholder groups.
Identify viable systems and decision-making alternatives to address engineering challenges.
Develop systems models and decision-making tools to help customers make informed and defensible decisions.
Support and mentor colleagues in technical writing and professional development.
Ensure activities comply with DOE orders and Federal, State, and Local regulations.
Coordinate and provide technical guidance across instrumentation and controls, networking, mechanical, safety engineering, and document control disciplines.
Mentor junior staff in tool usage, documentation practices, and systems engineering methodology.
Perform other duties as assigned by the department manager or lead engineer.