Mechanical Engineer, Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Systems

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world's transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people's quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

The Mechanical Engineer, Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Systems, supports the design, integration, and technical development of reactor vessel auxiliary systems within the Nuclear Reactor Systems Design organization. This role contributes to the design and analysis of key subsystems such as Reactivity Control, Shutdown, and Startup Systems, as well as the mechanical layout and configuration of components within the Reactor Cavity. The engineer collaborates across disciplines—including mechanical, nuclear, instrumentation and controls, and manufacturing—to ensure designs meet performance, safety, and regulatory requirements. This position requires strong technical acumen, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment to advance Kairos Power's mission.

Responsibilities

- Contribute to the design, analysis, and integration of reactor vessel auxiliary systems, including:

- Reactor internals and associated mechanical structures

- Drive mechanisms for actuating reactor internals

- Instrumentation and control interfaces for drive mechanisms

- Handling, storage, and maintenance systems for reactor internals and drive mechanisms

- Develop and maintain engineering documentation, including 3D models, drawings, calculations, design reports, and test procedures.

- Support system and component-level design reviews, hazard analyses, and risk assessments.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams in core design, reactor thermal hydraulics, instrumentation and controls, remote handling, fuels and materials, and reliability engineering to ensure system integration and performance.

- Interface with manufacturing, procurement, testing, and quality teams to support build, assembly, inspection, and qualification of mechanical components and systems.

- Apply engineering principles, standards, and analytical tools to ensure designs meet requirements for performance, safety, maintainability, and regulatory compliance.

- Contribute to continuous improvement in engineering design practices, documentation quality, and design verification processes.

- Participate in the development of design standards and lessons learned for future system iterations.

- Support requirements definition, traceability, and verification activities to ensure system designs meet functional and regulatory requirements.

- Conduct or support design analyses including stress, thermal, structural, and dynamic assessments to validate design performance under operating and transient conditions.

- Participate in failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), fault tree analysis (FTA), and design-for-safety reviews.

- Coordinate design inputs and outputs across interface boundaries (mechanical, thermal, I&C, and materials) to ensure cohesive system integration.

- Contribute to system-level configuration management by maintaining design baselines and supporting change control activities.

- Prepare and present technical content in design and peer reviews, communicating key decisions, assumptions, and results.

- Support component and system testing, including definition of acceptance criteria, data collection, and analysis of test results.

- Collaborate with licensing and compliance teams to provide engineering inputs supporting design certification and regulatory documentation.

- Participate in supplier technical evaluations, design reviews, and oversight for critical components and assemblies.

- Perform other duties as assigned to support project and organizational goals.

Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a closely related field required; Master's degree preferred, but not required.

- 4+ years of experience in mechanical design and analysis within the nuclear, energy, aerospace, or similar highly regulated industry.

- Experience with complex mechanical or nuclear system design and integration, such as reactivity control mechanisms, shielding structures, or remote handling systems, preferred.

- Familiarity with ASME BPVC design codes, pressure boundary design, and relevant NRC or industry standards.

- Experience with high-temperature or molten salt systems is a plus.

- Experience in CAD modeling and using engineering analysis tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, ANSYS, or equivalent).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Technical expertise in mechanical and nuclear systems design, including thermal-mechanical integration and system interfaces for complex engineered systems such as reactor internals and auxiliary components.

- Knowledge of engineering standards and codes, including ASME BPVC (Sections III and VIII), pressure boundary design, materials selection, and nuclear regulatory requirements.

- Proficiency in CAD modeling and Product Data Management (PDM) tools (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks) for developing, managing, and reviewing 3D models, drawings, and bills of materials.

- Ability to perform mechanical analysis and simulation, including finite element analysis (FEA), tolerance analysis, and stress or vibration assessment to support design verification.

- Skill in systems integration and interface management across mechanical, thermal, and instrumentation and control (I&C) subsystems.

- Understanding of manufacturing and assembly methods, including fabrication, machining, welding, and inspection of high-temperature or nuclear-grade components.

Physical Demands

- Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like

- Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)

- Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces

- Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods

- Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another

- Communicating with others to exchange information

Environmental Conditions

- General office environment

- Noisy environments

- Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions

- Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned

- High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE

- Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs

- Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials

- Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions

- Color identification: detecting, distinguishing, recognizing and identifying colors

- Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes, etc.

- Handling of Beryllium (Be)

- Handling of radiological materials

Travel

- Some travel may be required < 5%

Additional Requirements

- Seldomly requires working weekends

- Occasionally requires schedule flexibility

- Seldomly requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $122,300 to $143,800 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that maybe used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

#LI-Hybrid

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

- Competitive compensation packages

- Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents

- Paid Vacation

- 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy's general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810