Civil Engineer - AI and Automation

Battelle Energy Alliance; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 79,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Relocation package

Tuition assistance

PTO and holidays

401(k) with employer match

Job summary

Idaho National Laboratory is seeking a Civil Engineer - AI and Automation to innovate and deploy AI-enabled structural engineering tools. The role spans design, safety analysis, licensing documentation, and automation of workflows across design, safety, and licensing domains.

The candidate will develop agentic AI systems, integrate BIM/IFC data, and publish research findings, contributing to the Autonomous Engineering team on a 9x80 schedule with every other Friday off.

Qualifications

• PhD in Civil or Mechanical Engineering is required.
• Experience with BIM/IFC data schemas.
• Knowledge of Finite Element Analysis.
• Familiarity with agentic programming.
• Proficiency in Python.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Education or experience in AI/ML is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform structural engineering analysis and design for buildings housing nuclear equipment.
• Develop BIM/IFC-based models to support multidisciplinary design coordination.
• Build and validate finite element models to assess structural behavior.
• Develop Python tools to automate engineering tasks and checks.
• Design agentic AI systems to support design checks, safety analysis, and licensing workflows.
• Translate domain knowledge into AI/ML requirements and encoded logic.
• Integrate BIM/IFC data into AI/automation pipelines for automated takeoffs and reviews.

Skills

Python

AI/ML

FEM

Communication

Education

PhD in Civil or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

BIM/IFC

Job description

Idaho National Laboratory needs a Civil Engineer - AI and Automation professional to develop, deploy, and support innovative technical solutions across platforms including mobile, embedded, desktop, and web-based capabilities supporting programmatic goals. We are seeking a Civil Engineer to join our team at the intersection of artificial intelligence and structural design for nuclear energy applications. In this role, you will contribute to the design, development, and integration of digital and agentic AI systems that automate and accelerate engineering workflows across design, safety, and licensing domains. Working alongside experienced engineers and domain experts, you will gain hands‑on experience applying cutting‑edge AI and machine learning techniques to some of the most technically demanding challenges in the energy sector.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Perform structural engineering analysis and design for buildings and structures that house nuclear processing equipment.
• Develop and maintain structural, mechanical, and piping models using Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms and IFC-based data schemas to support multidisciplinary design coordination and data interoperability across engineering teams.
• Build, run, and validate Finite Element Models (FEM) to evaluate structural and mechanical component behavior.
• Design and develop Python-based software tools, scripts, and workflows to automate and accelerate structural, mechanical, and piping engineering tasks such as code‑compliance checks, load calculations, drawing/model data extraction, and design iteration.
• Design, build, and deploy agentic AI systems that automate portions of the engineering lifecycle, including design checks, safety analysis support, and licensing documentation workflows.
• Translate civil/structural and mechanical engineering domain knowledge (codes, standards, calculation methods) into requirements and logic that can be encoded into AI/ML models and autonomous agents.
• Integrate BIM/IFC model data into AI and automation pipelines to enable use cases such as automated quantity takeoff, structural code compliance screening, and model‑based design review.
• Contribute to the publication of research findings in peer‑reviewed journals and technical conference proceedings.

Required:

• PhD in Civil or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience with in BIM/IFC.
• Knowledge with Finite Element Analysis.
• Familiarity with agentic programming.
• Python.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Education or experience in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, use hands to handle materials, manipulate tools, keyboard and type, reach with hands and arms, and operate job‑related equipment. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform the essential functions and interact with people is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Information:

Idaho National Laboratory is hiring a Civil Engineer - AI and Automation to work on our Autonomous Engineering team. Our team works a 9x80 schedule located out of our C3 facility with every other Friday off.

• The pay range for this position is $79,344 - $162,732. At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.

Benefits and Relocation

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k) with a 4.2% employer contribution and up to 4.8% match (regular positions) or self-contribute access (postdoctoral positions)
• Paid time off (personal leave)
• Employee Education Program (tuition assistance for eligible positions)
• Comprehensive Relocation Package
• Benefit eligibility subject to multiple factors, including employment status and position classification.

At this time, BEA will not sponsor any H1‑B visas obtained outside of the United States of America (U.S.A.), including consular visas.

INL Mission:

Our mission is to discover, demonstrate and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options and critical infrastructure.

INL Vision:

Our vision is to change the world's energy future and secure our nation's critical infrastructure.

Selective Service Requirements:

To be eligible for employment at INL males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). For more information see www.sss.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of INL to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodation:

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Other Information:

When applying to positions please provide a resume and answer all questions on the following screens. Applicants, who fail to provide a resume or answer the questions, may be deemed ineligible for consideration.

INL does not accept resumes from third party vendors unsolicited.