Mechanical Engineer Level 4/5
About The Position
Idaho National Laboratory is hiring a Mechanical Engineer for its Reactor Project Engineering team at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). The role supports design, development, testing, and verification of complex electrical, mechanical, and/or software systems and components using systems engineering methods. The engineer analyzes plans and projects to establish operational objectives, high-level functions, and detailed requirements; evaluates design alternatives; and identifies opportunities to integrate technologies and develop new solutions. Work may involve sophisticated cross-discipline problem solving across multiple concurrent reactor and facility projects. The position serves as a technical authority and cross-project resource for requirements management, configuration control, and systems documentation. It coordinates with other organizations and disciplines to communicate design requirements, address integration issues, and support project delivery. Responsibilities also include using digital engineering and AI-assisted tools, creating and maintaining technical documents and configuration baselines, developing system models and risk analyses, facilitating technical reviews, and mentoring colleagues. Activities must comply with applicable DOE orders and federal, state, and local regulations. The position is based at MFC, a complex of facilities supporting nuclear research and development, including work with irradiated fuels and materials. The team follows a 4x10 schedule, with Fridays off. The posting has Level 4 and Level 5 placement options, determined by the candidate’s experience and skills. The position is testing designated and requires pre-employment and periodic drug testing. The role requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
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 or closely related field from an ABET-accredited program and 6 or more years of relevant experience.
- 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 or closely related field from an ABET-accredited program and 8 or more years of relevant experience.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance; U.S. citizenship is required.
- Ability to meet the requirements of a testing-designated position, including pre-employment and periodic drug testing.
- Physical ability to frequently stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, work in an office and laboratory environment, use hands and fingers for keyboarding and handling materials, manipulate tools, reach with hands and arms, operate job-related equipment, and drive a vehicle.
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or move 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 requirements development, decomposition, verification, and traceability throughout the project and system lifecycle.
- Develop, implement, and integrate systems engineering principles, including systems and organizational integration, road mapping, and testing.
- Use digital engineering tools, including requirements management, product lifecycle management, and collaborative review platforms, 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 between 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 methods and tools such as RAAML and MBSE/SysML, incorporating relevant data sources into assessments.
- Develop and apply AI-assisted digital engineering workflows for completeness checks, automated design reviews, and comparisons of requirements with design output; evaluate and recommend AI tools.
- Support development of concepts of operations and identification of high-level functions and detailed requirements.
- 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, orders, codes, 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 serve as document owner, managing 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 review comments across multidisciplinary stakeholder groups.
- Identify viable systems and decision-making alternatives for engineering challenges.
- Develop systems models and decision-making tools to support informed, efficient, effective, and defensible customer 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 on tool usage, documentation practices, and systems engineering methodology.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the department manager or lead engineer.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- 401(k) with a 4.2% employer contribution and up to 4.8% match for regular positions
- Paid time off (personal leave)
- Employee Education Program with tuition assistance for eligible positions
- Comprehensive relocation package
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
