Chemical Engineer Intern

TITLE:Chemical Engineer Intern

LOCATION: Bellevue, WA, USA

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. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, as a federal contractor, TerraPower has instituted an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) in an effort to proactively recruit, hire, and promote women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans.

Chemical Engineer Intern

TerraPower Isotopes (TPI) seeks to support revolutionary radiotherapies for treatments of cancers, such as prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by supplying radioisotopes that currently cannot be accessed in amounts required to develop medical treatments. The Chemical Engineer Intern will support TPI’s efforts toward the long-term production of actinium-225.

The Chemical Engineer Intern will contribute to critical projects aimed at developing and improving TPI production processes and processing equipment. These processes involve specially designed processing steps and process equipment capable of conducting operations on alpha-emitting and long-lived radionuclides inside hot-cell and glovebox environments. The intern will collaborate with TPI engineers to support design of new process equipment and unit operations that may optimize and ensure operational excellence for our radiopharmaceutical production processes. The ideal candidate will have a foundational understanding of chemical engineering design principles, with understanding of rate-based processes including heat transfer and evaporation, and the capability to connect design principles to practical applications. This internship offers hands-on experience with real-world engineering challenges in nuclear containment systems and the chance to contribute to advancements in radiopharmaceutical production.

Responsibilities

- Lead and support the design, testing, analysis, and optimization of lab-scale off-gas treatment systems for removal of volatile chemical contaminants, including advanced chemical scrubbers and evaporators.

- Lead and support development, testing, analysis, and optimization of evaporation processes used in radioisotope production processes.

- Participate in the design, modeling, and evaluation of volatile radionuclide mitigation/capture methods and systems, including absorption and filtration processes.

- Assist in developing process flow diagrams (PFDs), P&IDs, system layout drawings, and requirements for system components.

- Prepare and review associated technical documentation.

- Collect, analyze, and communicate project data to support design improvements and operational efficiency.

- Work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with engineering, radiochemistry, health physicist, and operations teams to achieve project goals.

- Participating in professional development and group activities.

- Compose and submit a study report summarizing research accomplishments.

- Present findings and progress updates to managers and appropriate personnel.

- Perform all work in compliance with site safety and radiation protection guidelines.

- Maintain documentation on process operations as directed by SOPs.

- Demonstrate the highest standards with respect to safety and radiation protection in all work activities.

Key Qualifications and Skills

- B.S./M.S./PhD in chemical engineering or related discipline from an accredited university or relevant practical experience in designing and testing control systems will be considered.

- Demonstrated knowledge and experience working according to safety procedures in a hazardous environment (chemical and radiological).

- Strong understanding of heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.

- Strong written and verbal communication skills.

- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, safety-focused environment.

- The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

Job Functions

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation. Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations. An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

- Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)

- Physical exertion and/or requirements: 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 and/or sitting working environment of >8 hrs./day

- Travel required: 0-5%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government. TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements. To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Government export authorization approval times vary. Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Hourly rate range*

Undergraduate: $22.65 - $29.65

Graduate: $40.43 - $43.89

PhD: $43.89 - $51.71

Job Type: Intern

Benefits:

- Competitive Compensation

- Hourly pay rate

- Weekly stipend for out of area Interns

- Weekly commuter stipend for local area Interns

- Paid Time Off (PTO)

- Interns accrue 1 hour of PTO for every 30 hours worked

- Holiday Schedule

- Paid holidays commensurate with Internship period and TerraPower Holiday Schedule

- Relocation Assistance for out of area Interns

- Intern pay rate will be commensurate with degree path and academic year completed at start of Internship.

Please visit www.terrapower.com to apply