Principal Engineer, Nuclear Analysis

TerraPower•Bellevue, WA

About The Position

TerraPower, LLC. is seeking a highly motivated Principal Nuclear Analysis Engineer to perform core design and analysis activities for advanced nuclear reactors. The work includes calculating and optimizing fuel management, power distributions, reactivity coefficients, control rod worth and shutdown margin, as well as sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, in accordance with applicable functional and quality requirements. The role also designs and analyzes new systems to solve complex problems and conducts sensitivity studies to assess modeling assumptions and develop corrected methods where needed. The successful candidate establishes and maintains documentation of analysis results and nuclear design solutions, and helps maintain software by implementing defined enhancements and bug fixes with the team. Work at TerraPower is dynamic and evolutionary, and responsibilities may change. The candidate should be capable of and interested in learning and applying specialized skills. The position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1, and candidates must meet applicable minimum education and experience criteria, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data is part of the hiring process. This position is based in Washington State. Travel is required 0–10%. TerraPower’s technology is subject to U.S. Government export controls, and applicants who are foreign nationals may be evaluated under applicable export control requirements.

Requirements

B.S. or higher in Nuclear Engineering or a related discipline from an accredited university; higher education counts toward years of experience.
At least 7 years of direct experience with proven nuclear engineering skills, subject to applicable ANSI/ANS 3.1 qualification criteria.
Knowledge of basic nuclear reactor design concepts sufficient to support the engineering team in understanding systems being designed and code being reviewed.
Experience in core design and analysis, including fuel management optimization, reactivity coefficients, shielding and activation, control rod worth, and uncertainty analysis.
Strong computational expertise.
Strong MCNP experience is required.
Good working knowledge of nuclear and/or general numerical methods, such as PDEs, dynamics, deterministic and stochastic particle transport, isotopic depletion, perturbation theory, nuclear data, and kinetics.
Excellent verbal and communication skills.
Ability and professionalism to work within published regulatory guidelines for nuclear reactor design.
High degree of trust and integrity, open communication, respect, and desire to foster teamwork.

Nice To Haves

Experience with nuclear engineering software such as DIF3D, MC2, PARTISN, RELAP, SCALE, PARCS, APA, CASMO/SIMULATE, or DRAGON.
Experience in transient analysis, thermal hydraulics, or fuel performance.
Fast reactor experience or experience with Core Operating Limits Report/Tech Specs.
Ability to perform professional-quality software development for nuclear applications.
Strong programming skills in any language.
Experience working in NQA-1 environments.

Responsibilities

Perform core design and analysis activities for advanced nuclear reactors, including fuel management and power distribution calculations and optimization.
Analyze reactivity coefficients, control rod worth, shutdown margin, sensitivity, and uncertainties in accordance with functional and quality requirements.
Design and analyze new systems to solve complex problems.
Design and execute sensitivity studies to assess the effects and validity of modeling assumptions, including meshing, physics coupling, transport options, cross-section preparation, fission product treatment, and spatial kinetics.
Help develop corrected methods when analysis reveals a need.
Establish and maintain documentation of analysis results and nuclear design solutions.
Maintain software by working with the team to implement clearly defined enhancement requests and bug fixes.
Learn and apply specialized skills as new responsibilities arise.