Materials Engineer – Irradiation Effects & Environmentally Assisted Degradation, MCFR

TerraPower is seeking a Materials Engineer for its MCFR team in Bellevue, WA. The role focuses on advanced nuclear reactor research, specifically addressing materials challenges in extreme environments. Responsibilities include overseeing material irradiation campaigns and collaborating with various engineering teams. TerraPower aims to innovate in nuclear technologies and medical isotopes while promoting diversity and inclusion in its workforce.
TITLE: Materials Engineer – Irradiation Effects & Environmentally Assisted Degradation, MCFR

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 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.

Materials Engineer – Irradiation Effects & Environmentally Assisted (Engineer, Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer), MCFR

TerraPower, LLC is seeking a highly motivated Materials Engineer (level to be determined based upon qualifications – Engineer, Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer) to support the engineering efforts of the MCFR Materials Engineering team. This role will be a part of a high functioning team of engineers focused on materials engineering challenges for next generation materials and components for molten chloride fast reactors.

You will be an integral part of the MCFR program, providing valuable materials insight and supporting/justifying plant level decisions on material selection through developing a thorough understanding of candidate materials in this extreme environment. Work developing and qualifying the materials’ mechanical properties, corrosion, corrosion-erosion and environmentally assisted degradation responses, and irradiation behavior are some of the main foci of the team. You will interface and work closely with the test engineering, radiochemistry and mechanical design teams at TerraPower.

Responsibilities

• Plan and oversee material irradiation campaigns (neutron, ion) for candidate molten chloride fast reactor materials with external partners and collaborators

• Plan and oversee post-irradiation examination, testing and characterization campaigns with external partners and collaborators

• Evaluate and analyzed irradiation data and provide inputs for reactor design

• Develop correlations between irradiation damage and material performance and properties

• Develop test requirements, plans, specifications, and procedures for testing metallic materials in high temperature molten salt environments and under irradiation

• Assist in the planning of and participate in test programs for environmentally assisted degradation of candidate materials (e.g. corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking, environmentally assisted fatigue, creep, etc.)

• Interface with project teams (mechanical design, testing, radiochemistry, etc.) to ensure material development and testing efforts meet programmatic objectives

• Work in cooperative projects for material testing and development with external collaborators, partners, and suppliers

• Maintain project schedule and timely delivery of results to internal and external project stakeholders

• Conduct testing and material characterization in a laboratory environment

• Provide materials engineering support for the procurement of engineered components and systems

• Assist in the procurements of materials, equipment, and testing services, including authoring procurement requisitions and managing supplier performance

• Perform scientific analysis on test data and generate technical reports to document new knowledge related to material performance and behavior, reactor design, and material qualification

• Provide material selection guidance

Key Qualifications and Skills

• Education and experience requirements. Job level to be determined based upon education and experience.

· Materials Engineer: Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD.

· Senior Materials Engineer: Bachelor’s degree with minimum 5 years related experience; or Master’s degree with minimum 3 years of related experience; or a PhD with minimum 1 year of related experience.

· Principal Materials Engineer: Bachelor’s degree with minimum 12 years of related experience; or a Master’s degree with minimum 8 years of related experience, or a PhD with minimum 5 years of related experience.

• Prior experience in material development, testing, and characterization for nuclear research or industry applications is required

• A thorough understanding of metallurgy including fabrication and thermomechanical processing of nonferrous (e.g., nickel-base) and ferrous (e.g., stainless steels) alloys is desired

• Understanding of neutron irradiation effects on metallic materials and experience is required

• Experience with the planning and execution of irradiation campaigns is desired

• Knowledge of non-aqueous corrosion and environmentally assisted degradation mechanisms is desired

• Knowledge of material aging mechanisms common to nuclear power reactors and other extreme operating environments is desired

• Proficiency in writing and producing technical documentation including test reports and studies is desired

• Experience writing specifications (material, testing, fabrication, etc.) is desired

• Excellent oral and written communication skills are desired

• Experience cooperating with external project partners/collaborators and Suppliers for technical scopes of work is highly desired

• Proficiency in experimental techniques for material characterization and analysis is required

• Experience working to quality standards such as ASME NQA-1 is preferred

• Working knowledge of ASME Section III, Div. 5 is a plus

• Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems is required

• 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 will not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Job Type: Full-time

Salary Range L10: $109,446- $164,170

Salary Range L11: $120,672 - $201,119
• Typically, our employee salaries are within .90 – 1.0 of the mid-point of the posted salary band. Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected individual’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation

• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments

• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits Medical

· Vision

· Dental

· Life

· Life and Disability

· Gender Affirmation Benefits

· Parental Leave

• 401k Plan

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

· 21 days of annually accrued PTO

• Generous Holiday Schedule

· 10 paid holidays

• Relocation Assistance

• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

• Flexible Work Schedule
• Typically, our employee salaries are within .90 – 1.0 of the mid-point of the posted salary band. Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected individual’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

TerraPower Career and Benefits information: https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/

Job posting details for Materials Engineer – Irradiation Effects & Environmentally Assisted Degradation, MCFR at TerraPower in Bellevue, Washington, United States, 98008. Compensation / salary range: $109,446- $164,170
Salary Range L11: $120,672 - $201,119
• Typically, our employee salaries are within. ClimateTechList gathers 17,000+ job openings from over 790 climate tech companies and updates them daily.