Senior Mechanical Engineer 2 - Nuclear

Sargent & Lundy•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, with three days in the office and two days remote. The Senior Mechanical Engineer will be involved in nuclear power plant systems design. This includes preparing or reviewing modification packages for operating nuclear power plants, functional mechanical drawings, engineering analyses and evaluations, technical specifications, procurement documents, vendor bid evaluations, and studies for modifications. The role also involves developing engineering cost estimates and visiting client sites to interface with clients and present engineering status. The position is within Sargent & Lundy's Nuclear Power Group, a leader in nuclear engineering, design, and licensing, focusing on SMRs, advanced reactor technology, life extensions, digital modernization, coal-to-nuclear conversions, and international new-build projects.

Requirements

BS or MS in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering from an ABET accredited program with academic coursework in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfers.
A minimum of 7 years of experience in the power industry.
Working knowledge of codes, standards, and regulations that apply to mechanical engineering design of nuclear power plants.
Willingness or ability to lead others who use modern tools like automation and AI.

Nice To Haves

PE license is beneficial, but not required.
Additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI-enabled engineering workflows.

Responsibilities

Prepare or review modification packages for operating nuclear power plants.
Prepare or review functional mechanical drawings and/or drawings for nuclear power plant systems.
Perform engineering analyses and evaluations to support modifications and operation of plant systems.
Prepare technical specifications and procurement documents for plant equipment.
Conduct vendor bid evaluations for plant equipment.
Perform studies and options evaluations for modifications to operating nuclear power plants.
Develop engineering cost estimates for small to mid-sized client-requested work scopes.
Visit client office and/or plant site locations to interface with the client and make presentations related to engineering tasks and status.
Lead engineering project teams.
Lead others in taking engineering problems from issue to solution by setting expectations for using data and modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost-effective designs.
Oversee engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs.