Mechanical Design Engineer - Core Mechanical Design

We are searching for a Core Mechanical Design Engineer to join our engineering team.

About the role

As a Core Mechanical Design Engineer, you will design core assemblies and components for our advanced reactors. You will take designs from conceptual to final stages, collaborating with Oklo’s Fuel Fabrication team to refine designs for improved manufacturability and inspectability. You will also create supporting documentation, including drawings, product and material specifications, design basis documents, and calculation documents.

Responsibilities

• Develop component designs to satisfy performance and manufacturing requirements
• Create and develop design documentation to define requirements
• Conduct and participate in design reviews, providing and receiving technical feedback
• Rigorously evaluate mechanical designs to identify deficiencies and proactively propose and implement solutions
• Generate and maintain detailed 3D CAD models, 2D drawings, and bills of materials using controlled processes in PDM/PLM systems
• Coordinate closely with analysis teams to guide and interpret thermal, structural, fatigue, and safety analyses in support of design validation
• Perform detailed manufacturability reviews, tolerance studies, and DFM/DFA assessments to prepare components for fabrication and assembly
• Contribute to continuous improvement of Oklo’s mechanical design processes, tools, and standards through feedback and development of best practices

Requirements

• 3–10 years of industry experience in mechanical or structural design within sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy, or industrial equipment
• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Proficiency in 3D CAD modeling software (e.g., Siemens NX, CATIA, SolidWorks), including part modeling, large assemblies, and detailed drawings
• Experience with CAD version control using PDM/PLM tools (e.g., Teamcenter, SolidWorks PDM, Windchill)
• Solid understanding of mechanical design principles, including DFM (Design for Manufacturability), DFA (Design for Assembly), and tolerance stack-up analysis
• Ability to apply GD&T per ASME Y14.5-2018 (or other similar standard) to engineering drawings
• Working knowledge of material selection (particularly metals), manufacturing methods, and fabrication techniques
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate on cross-functional teams, integrating feedback from analysis, manufacturing, and systems engineering
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document and present engineering work
• Comfortable working with external manufacturers and engineering consultants for fabrication and analysis support

Bonus Qualifications

• Background in designing components for high-integrity or safety-critical systems (e.g., nuclear, aerospace, defense, or heavy industry)
• Proven ability to lead hardware projects through the full development cycle—from concept and design to testing and production
• Knowledge of manufacturing and inspection processes
• Experience with precision machine design and tolerancing
• Understanding of thermal-mechanical analysis principles, with experience designing for high-temperature environments
• Basic knowledge of nuclear fission and radiation effects on materials and components
• Exposure to simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS) and scripting languages (e.g., Python)
• ASME GD&T Professional certification (Senior or Technologist Level)
• Proficiency with SolidWorks software

Competencies

We are looking for a Core Mechanical Design Engineer who is:

• Competent in 3D modeling software and has a solid understanding of mechanical design principles
• An experienced team player who can work effectively across both internal resources and external suppliers
• Passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality
• An optimist at heart, willing and able to learn quickly, and willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about problems without relying solely on past solutions
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• An excellent writer who can communicate in a modern, active voice
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Who you are

• A startup person: You aren’t driven by titles or hierarchy and prefer efficiency to excess process. You thrive in a fast-paced team environment with minimal guidance.
• Motivated: You are self-motivated, bringing enthusiasm and passion to the team beyond just clocking in and out.
• A team-player: You work collaboratively, taking pride in shared successes rather than individual credit.
• An excellent communicator: You are not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.
• Creative: You identify problems and invent solutions without micromanagement, enjoying open-ended challenges.
• Detail-oriented: You focus on excellence, consistency, and quality, with strong attention to grammar and spelling.

Travel Requirements

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice per quarter annually for team meetings, off-sites, and other company events. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

Pay

$115,000 - $170,000

Benefits

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

About Oklo Inc.

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.