Manager, Core Component Manufacturing

About the role

TerraPower is seeking a Core Components Fabrication Manager to join the Natrium Fuel Design and Supply team. The role oversees work scopes regarding the fabrication of core components and non-fuel assemblies, manages the shipping of Natrium assemblies, and develops manufacturing procedures.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement and technical sourcing of safety-critical mechanical hardware for the reactor core, including structural components, internals, and custom fabricated assemblies.
• Translate reactor design requirements, specifications, and drawings into executable procurement packages, including bills of materials, material specifications, quality clauses, and acceptance criteria.
• Develop, document, and maintain manufacturing procedures. This includes work instructions, supplier process specifications, inspection plans, and acceptance criteria, to ensure consistent execution, regulatory compliance, and full traceability to core mechanical hardware.
• Build and scale the manufacturing engineering organization by defining roles and competencies, recruiting and onboarding engineers, and developing team capabilities to support increasing reactor hardware procurement and production demands.
• Evaluate and qualify suppliers based on manufacturing capability, technical competence, quality systems, schedule performance, and nuclear pedigree.
• Support supplier technical reviews, request-for-quotation (RFQ) development, bid evaluations, and source selection decisions.
• Support negotiation on technical and commercial terms with suppliers to achieve cost, schedule, and performance objectives while maintaining strict quality requirements.
• Resolve manufacturing and procurement issues such as nonconformances, deviations, material substitutions, and corrective actions.
• Oversee preparation and review of shipping package fabrication, inspection plans, material certifications, and documentation packages required for transport.
• Cover supplier development and quality teams to conduct audits, process qualifications, and readiness assessments as it relates to manufacturing.
• Support development and maintenance of detailed schedules and risks for procured components, identifying supply chain bottlenecks and implementing mitigation plans.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing and design-for-procurement improvements to reduce cost, shorten lead times, and improve hardware reliability.
• Establish procurement metrics including supplier on-time delivery, cost variance, yield, and quality performance.
• Lead and mentor manufacturing and procurement engineers responsible for reactor core hardware acquisition and supplier management.
• Ensure all procurement activities are conducted in accordance with nuclear safety culture principles emphasizing integrity, traceability, configuration control, and quality.
• Support continuous learning and application of nuclear industry best practices to maintain the highest quality of engineering and proactively identify process change/enhancement opportunities.

Qualifications and Skills

• Education: B.S. degree in Mechanical engineering, Manufacturing engineering, Nuclear engineering, or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum of 9 years of relevant experience; relevant M.S. and Doctorate degrees may be credited for up to two or four years of experience respectively.
• Minimum of 4 years of leadership experience for people management or leading major cross functional projects involving manufacturing.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong analytical/problem solving skills, creative thinker.
• Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently during a given work week.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly, and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

Job Functions

• Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Prolonged repetitive work.
• Visual and audio focused work.
• Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day.
• Travel required 0-10%.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
• Medical
• Vision
• Dental
• Life and Disability
• Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
• 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities