Senior Process Equipment Engineer - Fuel Recycling

We are searching for a Senior Process Equipment Engineer to join our Fuel Recycling engineering team. This role bridges process engineering, mechanical design, equipment vendors, pilot testing, and facility integration as the project advances from conceptual design through preliminary engineering and into detailed design.

About the role

The engineer will work closely with subsystem technical leads responsible for off-gas treatment, pyroprocessing, waste management, process safety, and facility engineering to mature first-of-a-kind process equipment into construction-ready designs. This individual will become the responsible engineer for equipment realization rather than process invention.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of process equipment from conceptual design through IFC packages
• Develop equipment specifications, data sheets, and procurement documentation
• Own equipment sizing and mechanical/process interfaces for vessels, heat exchangers, filters, adsorption systems, blowers, compressors, pumps, piping systems, and specialty process equipment
• Perform process calculations supporting equipment selection
• Develop utility requirements and equipment operating envelopes
• Work with equipment vendors to develop custom first-of-a-kind equipment
• Evaluate vendor proposals and participate in technical bid evaluations
• Support PFD, P&ID, process narrative, equipment list, line list, and instrument list development
• Develop process design criteria and engineering calculations
• Support HAZOPs, design reviews, and safety analyses
• Support process startup planning and commissioning activities
• Develop acceptance testing procedures (FAT/SAT)
• Coordinate closely with facility engineering, mechanical engineering, I&C, nuclear safety, and licensing teams
• Participate in pilot plant planning and interpretation of pilot data
• Travel periodically to vendors, national laboratories, pilot facilities, and project partners

Requirements

• Degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering or related field
• 8+ years of process engineering experience
• Experience developing process equipment
• Experience producing engineering calculations
• Experience with Aspen Plus, HYSYS, ChemCAD, or similar
• Experience with industrial gas processing, chemical processing, or separations

Qualifications

• Experience deploying or working on pilot plants and scaling from demonstration to industrial scale at brown/green field sites
• Commercial or nuclear industry experience
• Experience in adsorption systems, heat exchanger design, pressure vessel specification, compressor and blower selection
• EPC experience, process equipment procurement and vendor management
• FOAK technology commercialization

Skills

We are looking for a Senior Process Equipment Engineer who:

• Works effectively across multiple engineering disciplines and enjoys partnering with vendors, national laboratories, EPC contractors, and internal engineering teams
• Is comfortable developing engineering solutions where industry standards may not yet exist and enjoys applying first-principles engineering to novel problems
• Is passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality
• Is an optimist at heart, willing and able to learn quickly, and thinks differently to do things in new ways
• Is comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
• Is excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about problems without leaning only on what has been done before
• Is willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• Is an excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

About you

• A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but enjoy working in a fast-paced team.
• Motivated: You are self-motivated, bring enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and out.
• A team-player: You work as part of a team, aren’t about taking credit for yourself, and aren’t about pushing blame to others.
• 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 grammar and spelling for communication.

Travel

Remote employees are required to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees must be in person at headquarters.

Pay

Salary: $120,000-$180,000

Benefits

• Flexible time off
• Equity
• Bonuses
• Competitive pay
• 401(k)
• Health insurance (with employer contribution)
• HSA, FSA
• Flexible work hours
• Wellness credits

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.

Oklo’s Values

• Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect.
• Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and the world, focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
• Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion.
• Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.