Principal Engineer, Structural and Stress Analysis

About the role

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington, working to raise living standards globally through affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly nuclear energy and innovations in medical isotopes. Founded in 2006 by Bill Gates and like‑minded visionaries, the company’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. TerraPower’s activities in nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy, and medical applications for human health benefits.

The Principal Engineer, Structural and Stress Analysis will act as a subject matter expert for TerraPower's Natrium advanced nuclear reactor development, providing technical leadership on the mechanical performance of reactor components, structures, and nuclear island components. The role reports to the Structural and Stress Analysis Team Manager and involves working within a high‑functioning team of engineers and scientists focused on next‑generation advanced nuclear reactor design.

Responsibilities

• Perform various analyses (stress, creep‑fatigue, buckling, seismic, vibration) of reactor components using classical tools such as Mathcad and finite element analysis (FEA) software such as ANSYS.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to perform static and dynamic analysis using both linear and non‑linear approaches with FEA software.
• Work with interdisciplinary teams to establish and optimize nuclear component design consistent with required functional and safety requirements.
• Establish, review, approve, and maintain documents of analysis results and design solutions.
• Support the team's development of required inputs and methodologies to establish structural sizing and load combinations for critical reactor components and interfaces.
• Perform peer review to maintain the expected quality standard per the engineering quality assurance plan.
• Assist the Team Manager and Senior Manager when necessary for planning and strategy.
• Mentor engineers and team members as needed to build a skilled and confident team.
• Serve as a technical point of contact for various focused tasks.

Qualifications and Skills

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited university; Aerospace, Nuclear, and Civil Engineering degrees also considered.
• Minimum 15 years of related experience with B.S. degree, or 12 years with M.S. degree, or 8 years with Ph.D. degree, ability to produce high‑quality work product