Fuel Performance Engineer

About the role

Fuel Performance Engineers at Oklo are responsible for the fuel performance analyses and verification of current and future fuel design for Oklo's Aurora powerhouses. This includes engineering analyses, modeling and simulation, clear and thorough documentation of the analyses, as well as interfacing with our reactor design, fuel fabrication, and licensing teams.

Responsibilities

• Analyzing current and novel fuel design performance across expected operating conditions and postulated off-normal conditions.
• Devising analysis methodologies that efficiently and effectively build confidence in a design, which can include software development of modeling and simulation tools.
• Verification and validation of modeling and simulation tools in support of analyses.
• Supporting experimental fuel campaigns.
• Collaborating cross-functionally to provide technical feedback to design teams.
• Documenting work using modern tools and techniques, and writing well-written, thoughtful technical reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, plus 3 years of experience.
• Experience with multi-physics system performance analyses.
• Experience with finite element simulation software (e.g., Ansys, Abaqus).
• Experience with material analysis.
• Experience with object-oriented programming language (e.g., Python, C++).

Qualifications

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with nuclear fuel performance analysis.
• Familiarity with metallic fuels.
• Experience with fuel analysis and fuel performance software (e.g., BISON, LIFE-METAL, etc.).
• Experience in material selection and material analysis.
• Fluency in Python.

Skills

We are looking for a Fuel Performance Engineer that is:

• Passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality.
• Willing and able to learn quickly and adapt to evolving challenges.
• Eager to work in a dynamic team, receive constructive feedback, and grow with us.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment where we think differently and do things in new ways.
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving.
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems.

Who you are:

• A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team.
• Motivated: You are self-motivated, bring enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out.
• A team-player: You work as part of a team, aren’t about taking credit for yourself, and aren’t about pushing blame to others.
• An excellent communicator: You are not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.
• Creative: You identify problems and invent ways to solve them or fill needs without micromanagement, enjoying open-ended problems that may change day-by-day.
• Detail-oriented: You focus on excellence, consistency, and quality, including excellent grammar and spelling for good communication and company image.

About Oklo

Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

Travel Requirements

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

Pay

Salary: $120,000-$165,000. Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience.

Benefits

• Flexible time off.
• Equity.
• Competitive pay.
• 401k.
• Health insurance.
• FSA.
• Flexible work hours.
• Other benefits.

Oklo’s Values:

• Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
• Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
• Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
• Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.