Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer – Uranium Process Systems

About the role

Nano Nuclear Energy is seeking a Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer to develop and commission specialized equipment supporting uranium conversion and deconversion technologies. This is a hands-on engineering opportunity to turn process requirements into practical equipment designs and work directly on assembly, commissioning, troubleshooting, and scale-up. Reporting to the VP of Fuel Technologies, you will collaborate with process engineers, equipment fabricators, and suppliers to develop reliable, maintainable equipment for laboratory and demonstration-facility operations.

The position offers a hybrid work arrangement in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with relocation assistance available.

Responsibilities

• Design and specify process equipment, including reactors, vessels, furnaces, kilns, powder-handling systems, gas and vacuum systems, condensers, scrubbers, and modular process skids.
• Translate temperature, pressure, flow, reaction, solids-handling, and containment requirements into fabricable, operable equipment designs.
• Participate in equipment fabrication reviews, assembly, installation, alignment, leak testing, commissioning, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Address corrosion, erosion, thermal expansion, sealing, insulation, fatigue, contamination control, and other equipment reliability challenges.
• Design for maintainability, cleanout, inspection, decontamination, component replacement, and remote handling where appropriate.
• Prepare procurement specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, review drawings, and support factory and site acceptance testing.
• Evaluate scale-up effects on heat transfer, mixing, solids transport, gas distribution, residence time, and process performance.
• Maintain controlled engineering documentation and assess design changes for process, safety, and product-quality impacts.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Experience designing process equipment for chemical, nuclear, ceramic, high-temperature, vacuum, powder-processing, or specialty manufacturing systems.
• Hands-on experience building, modifying, commissioning, maintaining, or troubleshooting laboratory, pilot, or demonstration-facility equipment.
• Strong knowledge of pressure and temperature systems, thermal equipment, gas systems, rotating or solids-handling equipment, mechanical interfaces, fabrication methods, and maintainability.
• Experience developing equipment specifications and working with fabricators, machine shops, integrators, or equipment vendors.
• Ability to prepare and maintain engineering calculations, drawings, equipment lists, interface requirements, and commissioning records.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with nuclear fuel-cycle or radiological process equipment.
• Familiarity with fluorine or UF6 service, corrosion-resistant materials, gloveboxes, confinement systems, or vacuum equipment.
• Experience with high-temperature furnaces, rotary equipment, powder feeders, dryers, kilns, or gas-solid reaction systems.
• Experience developing modular pilot plants or skid-mounted process equipment.

Benefits

• Hybrid work arrangement in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
• Relocation package available
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) with up to 5% company match
• Unlimited PTO, company holidays, and paid parental leave
• Mentorship, technical leadership, and professional development opportunities

Pay

• E3 – Senior Engineer I: $110,000 – $160,000
• E4 – Senior Engineer II: $135,000 – $185,000
• E5 – Principal Engineer I: $160,000 – $215,000
• E6 – Principal Engineer II: $185,000 – $255,000