Site Design Engineering Lead Mechanical Engineer

TerraPower LLC.•Kemmerer, WY

1d•$142,995 - $190,661•Onsite

About The Position

The Site Design Engineering Lead Mechanical Engineer will lead and oversee the onsite mechanical engineering design team for the Natrium Demonstration Project, TerraPower's groundbreaking advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor plant under construction near Kemmerer, Wyoming. This role is critical in ensuring that engineering support aligns with construction, testing, startup, and turnover activities while maintaining compliance with the design and licensing basis, nuclear safety standards, and project requirements. This position is based onsite at the Natrium Demonstration Project in Kemmerer, Wyoming, and reports to the Site Design Engineering Manager.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited institution.
Minimum 10–15 years of progressive engineering experience, with at least 5–7 years in a leadership or supervisory role leading engineering teams.
Significant experience in nuclear facility design, construction support, or field engineering, preferably on large-scale nuclear new-build, demonstration, or advanced reactor projects.
Proven track record of interfacing with construction, procurement, quality, licensing, and regulatory entities to resolve complex onsite technical issues while maintaining schedule and safety priorities.
Strong understanding of nuclear design and licensing basis requirements, configuration management, and quality assurance programs in regulated nuclear environments (e.g., 10 CFR 50, 10 CFR 52, NRC guidance).
Excellent leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, with experience mentoring engineers and building high-performing teams in high-stakes environments.
Ability to obtain and maintain site access and any required security clearances for work at a nuclear construction site.
Familiarization with codes used in nuclear construction. For instance, NQA-1, ASME Section III, VIII, B31.1, B31.3, ACI-349, 318, AISC N690, 360, IEEE 603.
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

Advanced degree or professional engineering registration (PE) preferred.
Familiarity with sodium-cooled fast reactor technology, advanced nuclear systems, or DOE-funded demonstration projects is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead onsite Mechanical Engineering team. The team comprises TerraPower employees and subcontracted resources.
Oversee execution of all mechanical design follow and field engineering activities in direct support of construction, testing, system startup, commissioning, and turnover to operations. This includes technical review, approval, and issuance of drawing and design deliverables to ensure they conform to the approved design basis, licensing commitments, and regulatory requirements.
Serve as the primary onsite engineering interface for mechanical issues with key stakeholders, including construction management, field engineering teams, licensing and regulatory affairs, quality assurance, the utility owner/operator, procurement, suppliers, and external regulators (e.g., NRC). Resolve technical and engineering issues arising in the field efficiently and collaboratively.
Manage priority conflicts and resource allocation when competing demands emerge across engineering tasks. Partner with other team leads to resolve issues at the working level; escalate unresolved or high-impact conflicts to senior leadership for timely decisions.
Support Project Controls organization, Field Engineering, Construction, Home Office, to prioritize work activities to support the construction schedule.
Foster employee development by mentoring engineers, identifying and facilitating relevant training opportunities, and assigning challenging, growth-oriented tasks within the Natrium program scope.
Support recruitment, onboarding, and indoctrination processes for new engineers joining the onsite mechanical team, ensuring alignment with project standards, nuclear quality programs, and site-specific safety and security protocols.
Ensure all work processes, technical outputs, and deliverables within the group's scope adhere to contract requirements, TerraPower project standards, industry standards, and nuclear regulatory expectations for quality, configuration management, and design control.