Senior Engineer, Core Thermal Hydraulics Methods and Analysis

TerraPower LLC.•Bellevue, WA

1d•$131,828 - $171,206•Onsite

About The Position

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits. TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Senior Engineer, Core Thermal Hydraulics Methods and Analysis The Senior Engineer reporting to the Manager of Core Thermal Hydraulics Methods and Analysis develops and applies thermal‑hydraulic analysis methods, performs code validation, applies first‑principles calculations, and integrates with multidisciplinary teams to solve reactor‑core design challenges and support testing programs. The role provides technical recommendations through formal documentation and presentations, requiring strong analytical skills, expertise with nuclear systems codes, and the ability to work concurrently across multiple complex tasks.

Requirements

Minimum of 6 years of related experience with Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree. PhD without commercial experience may be acceptable with relevant research or expertise.
Demonstrated ability to participate on a multi-disciplinary team of engineers
Creative thinker with demonstrated strong analytical/problem solving skills
Ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently during a given work week
Excellent writing and communication skills
The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trustworthiness and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork
This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Nice To Haves

Programming language proficiency in either python or C++ a plus
Experience with a nuclear systems code, or subchannel analysis code (e.g. RELAP, SASSYS, GOTHIC, VIPRE-01) a plus
Experience with analysis of nuclear reactor core subchannel analysis a plus
Experience with low Prandtl number heat transfer analysis a strong plus
Experience with high temperature thermal-fluid systems (e.g. sodium) a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and apply thermal-hydraulic analysis methods, including steady state and transient one-dimensional network hydraulic analyses
Computational analysis of in-core steady-state thermal hydraulic phenomena
Perform code benchmarking and validation analyses to support code qualification and methodology development
Perform calculations using first principles of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics to support and validate analysis results
Integrate with other engineering groups performing aspects of component, system, fuel, and control system analysis and related thermal-hydraulic testing
Support development of testing programs needed for reactor core & components
Support the technical decision to address the critical challenges in reactor core design
Support the project planning and define the work scopes for the critical path of the project
Work with cross-disciplinary teams to analyze the thermal and mechanical design considerations for the safety of the reactor and its components
Provide technical presentations on analyses performed to the broader team.
Prepare informal and formal reports to document findings and make reasoned recommendations, and report to core thermal hydraulic team manager/lead