Principal Mechanical Engineer, Fuel Handling Equipment

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience in mechanical or electromechanical equipment development, testing, deployment, or commissioning; or master’s degree in mechanical engineering and 5+ years of relevant experience; or PhD in mechanical engineering and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. Working closely with engineering, operations, maintenance, assembly teams, and suppliers, the engineer will guide assigned technical activities at the assigned site and serve as a technical resource for fuel handling equipment development and testing.

Job Summary 

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Principal Fuel Handling Equipment Testing Engineer with technical expertise relevant to design, development, testing and manufacturing of automated systems for fuel handling and storage equipment.

The engineer will apply specialized mechanical and electromechanical expertise to advance prototype and equipment testing, develop remote handling capabilities, and resolve complex issues during assembly, startup, and commissioning.  Working closely with engineering, operations, maintenance, assembly teams, and suppliers, the engineer will guide assigned technical activities at the assigned site and serve as a technical resource for fuel handling equipment development and testing.

The successful candidate will be a critical member of the KP-FHR fuel handling and storage system.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the deployment, testing, assembly, and development activities of the fuel handling team at the Tennessee site.
• Design, build, and test prototype assemblies to demonstrate concept functionality and performance in prototypic conditions.
• Design and build testing platforms, for the exploration of design features or operations that require maturation.
• Lead the development of remote handling features, tools, and operations for fuel handling components in collaboration with operations and maintenance teams.
• Collaborate with operations and the assembly team to create assembly plans, testing requirements, operations, and procedures.
• Generate 3D design layouts and 2D drawings for electro-mechanical equipment, including the desired interface with the nuclear vessel head and other locations in the primary system.
• Create or direct the creation of manufacturing drawings for KP-FHR custom fuel handling equipment, and other moving components, and coordinate fabrication with internal manufacturing teams and suppliers.
• Contribute to make/buy analyses, supplier selections, and the development of manufacturing plans.
• Generate detailed verification and acceptance test plans for all standard and custom components.
• Provide on-site technical support for the operation and troubleshooting of custom components during startup and commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience in mechanical or electromechanical equipment development, testing, deployment, or commissioning; or master’s degree in mechanical engineering and 5+ years of relevant experience; or PhD in mechanical engineering and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience performing hands-on prototyping and testing of novel electromechanical systems.
• Experience designing equipment for nuclear, energy, chemical, petrochemical, defense, or aerospace, or other applications with comparable technical requirements.
• Experience using SolidWorks to develop equipment models and engineering drawings.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Applied knowledge of mechanical design principles, mechatronics, motor control, and sensor integration for custom electromechanical equipment.
• Knowledge of design considerations for motorized systems intended for radiation environments.
• Knowledge of engineering drawing practices, dimensional tolerancing, fits, clearances, and alignment requirements for mechanical assemblies.
• Knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes and their application to equipment design and fabrication.
• Knowledge of design for maintenance strategies, tooling and handling design, and operations development for maintenance periods.
• Ability to define and coordinate mechanical interfaces with electrical, instrumentation, and controls components.
• Ability to design prototype assemblies and test platforms, including consideration of high-temperature operating conditions and associated equipment hazards.
• Ability to translate equipment requirements into verification and acceptance test methods and measurable acceptance criteria.
• Ability to analyze test data, troubleshoot complex equipment problems, and develop and verify corrective design changes.
• Ability to independently execute assigned technical work and guide contributors in sensor and motor system development.
• Ability to collaborate with project managers, engineers, operators, technicians, designers, and suppliers to resolve design, fabrication, assembly, and testing issues.
• Ability to communicate design decisions and technical findings clearly through engineering documentation, test reports, and technical discussions.
• Ability to check models, drawings, and test documentation for accuracy, completeness, and consistency with equipment requirements.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others including, but not limited to Project Managers, Engineers, operators, technicians and designers in a multi-discipline project team environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment
• Noisy environments
• Prototyping/Testing environment
• Manufacturing/Industrial Environment
• Laboratory environment

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety footwear, and other PPE as required

Travel

• Some travel may be required (10%) 

Additional Requirements

• Occasionally requires schedule flexibility.
• Occasionally requires extended hours to support critical project timelines, fabrication activities, testing, or deployment milestones.

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