Nuclear Test Engineer

Ocean Atomics•Bethesda, MD

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Ocean Atomics (OA) is an American company designing, licensing, and assembling a standardized nuclear electric power plant and the surrounding support systems for maritime applications. We will install these plants on any vessel built to our nuclear-ready standards, and will provide end-to-end sustainment in our planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. We will help develop the licensed operators to unlock this new capability for your energy intensive application at sea. To move fast and to lead the creation of this new market, we are leveraging the compact, proven systems enabled by water-cooled reactors. Our mission is to scale nuclear energy and power generations. Our vision is a maritime commons thriving with abundant, economical, modern, and safe nuclear-powered activity — built, serviced, and staffed by re-industrialized American shipyards and people. The Test Engineer - Nuclear is responsible for the development, execution, and documentation of test programs supporting the Ocean Atomics Reactor. The role spans safety-related and non-safety-related systems and covers the full test lifecycle: translating design and analysis inputs into test requirements, supporting facility design and commissioning, running test campaigns, reducing and interpreting the resulting data, and issuing the test reports and data packages that feed design verification and regulatory objectives. Work is performed within a multidisciplinary engineering environment in which test results directly inform component and system design decisions and licensing evidence. The successful candidate will bring strong analytical and problem-solving skills, a genuine appetite for hands-on laboratory engineering, and the ability to contribute to complex testing campaigns that advance the commercialization of next-generation nuclear technology deployed on the world's oceans.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology discipline.
2+ years of relevant laboratory, testing, or engineering experience.
Experience interpreting engineering drawings and P&IDs.
Experience with technical data reduction, analysis, and visualization.
Experience working in a quality-controlled or safety-related environment.
Ability to support on-site testing, extended test campaigns, and occasional travel.
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and provide timely technical recommendations.
Excellent technical writing, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Engineering discipline.
3–5 years of relevant engineering experience, preferably in laboratory, testing, or experimental engineering environments.
Experience with test loop or test facility setup, commissioning, and operation.
Proficiency with Python and/or MATLAB for data analysis, automation, and visualization.
Familiarity with instrumentation selection, calibration, and data acquisition systems.
Experience working under NQA-1 quality assurance programs and knowledge of U.S. NRC licensing processes.
Experience developing test plans, procedures, reports, and design verification documentation.
Experience interfacing directly with internal or external customers, sponsors, or stakeholders.
Nuclear industry experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop test requirements based on Ocean Atomics Reactor design and analysis inputs.
Translate technical requirements into detailed test plans, procedures, and specifications.
Support the design, setup, commissioning, and operation of test loops and facilities.
Execute test programs, including on-site testing and extended test campaigns.
Identify and resolve technical issues encountered during test planning and execution.
Ensure proper data acquisition, validation, and quality control in accordance with quality assurance requirements.
Perform data reduction, analysis, and visualization to support engineering evaluations and conclusions.
Prepare comprehensive test reports and data packages for internal and external stakeholders.
Produce the design verification documentation that flows from test results to the design and licensing basis.
Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to ensure alignment between testing activities and design objectives.
Interface with internal and external test sponsors to define requirements, communicate progress, and deliver results.
Ensure testing activities comply with applicable safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
Conduct work consistent with the governing quality assurance program and applicable NRC licensing objectives.