Senior Engineer, Thermal Hydraulics

About the Company

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. Founded in 2006 by Bill Gates and a group of visionaries, TerraPower focuses on energy access as crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities. 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 yield significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy, and medical applications for human health benefits.

About the Role

Reporting to the Manager, System Thermal Hydraulics Methods & Analysis, you will perform investigations and analyses of thermal hydraulics and fluid dynamics for the liquid sodium-cooled Natrium Reactor Program. Ideal candidates will have experience with multiple commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes, as well as steady and transient hydraulic network analysis.

Responsibilities

• Perform analysis and design of structures, systems, and components for the Natrium Reactor.
• Conduct computational thermal-fluids analysis using 3D CFD tools.
• Perform steady-state and transient hydraulic network analysis.
• Document and present results to peers and outside organizations.
• Support continuous learning and application of nuclear industry best practices to maintain high-quality engineering design and identify process improvements.
• Work with cross-disciplinary teams to analyze thermal and mechanical design considerations for the reactor and its components.
• Address complex issues by selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results with minimal supervision.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Nuclear, or Chemical engineering (or equivalent); or 3 years with a Master's degree; or a PhD with demonstrated ability to perform thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear reactor core and/or system components.
• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated use of commercial CFD packages (STAR-CCM+ preferred).
• Working knowledge of CFD best practices, modeling approaches, and meshing parameters suited for specific applications balancing accuracy and computational resources.
• Experience with one or more CAD modeling tools such as SolidWorks (preferred).
• Experience with nuclear systems applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (a plus).
• Experience with low Prandtl number fluid heat transfer (a plus).
• Familiarity and experience with CFD verification and validation of computational modeling methodologies (a plus).
• Experience in Software Quality Assurance (SQA) program and Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) standards (highly preferred).
• Creative thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently.
• Strong communication skills.

Job Functions

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands).
• Physical Exertion: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive Work: Prolonged.
• Special Senses: Visual and audio-focused work.
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard sitting working environment of more than 8 hours/day.
• Travel: 0-10%.

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

TerraPower's technology is controlled for export by various U.S. Government agencies. Applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) will be evaluated in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.

Pay

Salary Range: $117,922 - $176,883 (specific to Washington State). Any salary offered within this range is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.

Benefits

• Compensation: Competitive salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments.
• Medical and Wellness Benefits:
  • Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
  • Life and disability insurance.
  • Gender affirmation benefits.
  • Parental leave.
• Retirement: 401k Plan.
• Paid Time Off:
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO.
  • 10 paid holidays.
• Relocation Assistance.
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities.