Reactor Core Mechanical Engineer

Ocean Atomics•Bethesda, MD

About The Position

Ocean Atomics 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. We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Reactor Core Mechanical Engineer to help us scale nuclear energy at sea. You will design and analyze the mechanical components and internals of the reactor core, with a focus on discerning and optimizing operation in dynamic marine environments. Flow-induced vibration, ship motions, and shock loading reshape structural integrity implications across the core's service life. Your analysis is what separates a reactor designed for a fixed terrestrial foundation from one engineered to operate reliably in maritime conditions. This is a role we're hiring at multiple levels. The work is shared across levels; scope and accountability scales with experience. The ideal candidate is genuinely curious about how to improve upon 60+ years of nuclear reactors at sea and is uniquely competent in tackling the core mechanical engineering challenges required to design, license, and produce a reactor system that allows commercial reactors to unlock the potential of the ocean.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or nuclear engineering required
Experience in mechanical design and structural analysis of reactor core components or internals.
Proficiency with finite element analysis and structural/vibration tools (e.g., ANSYS, ABAQUS, or equivalent).
Working knowledge of flow-induced vibration, fatigue, and dynamic/shock loading analysis.
Strong grounding in solid mechanics, materials behavior, and structural dynamics

Nice To Haves

Background in naval architecture, marine engineering, or offshore energy.
Experience with PWRs, first-of-a-kind reactor designs, or small modular reactor (SMR) programs.
Advanced degree in mechanical or nuclear engineering.

Responsibilities

Design and analyze core mechanical components and internals for structural integrity, fatigue, and wear across operating, transient, and accident conditions including those unique to the maritime domain.
Evaluate flow-induced vibration of fuel assemblies, control elements, and internals, and develop design features to mitigate wear and dynamic effects in marine operational load profiles.
Assess the effects of ship motions and dynamic/shock loading on core mechanical performance and structural margins.
Coordinate with thermal-hydraulics, fuels, and structural teams to integrate mechanical design with flow, thermal, and neutronic requirements.
Document mechanical analyses, design basis, and qualification results, and support design reviews, testing campaigns, and regulatory documentation.
Lead system-level decisions on core mechanical architecture and material selection (at more senior levels).
Mentor newer engineers and review their analyses (at more senior levels).
Interface directly with our regulatory team on NRC-facing documentation packages (at more senior levels).
Drive cross-team trade studies across thermal-hydraulics, fuels, and structural domains (at more senior levels).