Design Lead, Reactor Components

TerraPower LLC.; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Medical, Vision, Dental, Life

401k Plan

PTO 21 days

10 holidays

Relocation assistance

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

TerraPower is seeking a Reactor Components Design Lead to join the Bellevue, WA team. You will lead the design of reactor mechanical components and coordinate with engineers across disciplines for Natrium project success.

Requirements include 10+ years in mechanical design, ASME Sect III familiarity, and strong communication and leadership skills in a high‑temperature, multi‑discipline environment. This role offers competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of direct mechanical systems design experience.
• Experience leading mechanical design of complex structures and equipment.
• Knowledge of ASME Sect III and quality standards is preferred.
• Strong technical writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead a design team with minimal direction.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate a diverse design team to develop reactor equipment and docs.
• Lead design activities from requirements through fabrication and assembly.
• Oversee component analyses (thermal, seismic, structural, radiation shielding).
• Review engineering products for integration with reactor design.
• Ensure adherence to ASME NQA-1, ISO 9001, and other codes.
• Interface with fabricators and suppliers for manufacturability.
• Lead design reviews and set interfaces with other disciplines.
• Support licensing activities and safety analyses as needed.

Skills

Leadership of mechanical design

Design for high temperature systems

ASME Sect III knowledge

Technical writing and presentation

Self-starter and team coordination

Design integration under constraints

Quality standards experience (ASME NQA

Education

B.S. Mechanical or related discipline

Job description

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.

Reactor Components Design Lead reports directly to the Reactor Enclosure System Manager and is focused on the design of reactor mechanical components and structures. In this role, you will act as a Lead Design Engineer supporting TerraPower’s Natrium project. The successful candidate will integrate and coordinate with engineers working on the reactor and interfacing systems as part of a high-performing team of engineers and scientists.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for coordinating a geographically diverse design team to develop design of reactor equipment and supporting engineering documentation. The team members include TerraPower employees, subcontracted resources, equipment suppliers, construction organizations, and customers.
• Lead the design activities of a set of integral reactor components from requirements specification through final design and component fabrication and assembly.
• Develop and oversee development of component analyses, such as thermal, seismic, structural, creep, radiation shielding, and other analyses performed by team members required for the design.
• Perform technical review and oversight of engineering products within scope of control and ensure integration with the overall reactor design.
• Design to and comply with project codes of record, including ASME BPVC Sect III Div 5.
• Interface with component fabricators and reactor assembler to incorporate design for manufacturability and assembly criteria including control manufacturing and fabrication sequences, technique, details, and modularization.
• Evaluate application of regulatory criteria, codes and standards, industry guidance, and design programs to complex mechanical design challenges.
• Lead teams in the creation and revision of drawing packages supporting design analysis, manufacturing, fabrication, interfaces, etc.
• Interface with design disciplines (such as mechanical, instrumentation and controls, civil, and nuclear) to identify and develop detailed equipment interface controls and specify equipment design criteria envelopes.
• Provide technical direction and oversight of supplier activities, working with or as the technical representative to ensure delivery of deliverables, as well as coordination and performance of technical reviews of deliverables.
• Propose and facilitate testing programs for equipment qualification, as needed
• Provide support and oversight during test execution, evaluation of test results, and reporting of test results.
• Lead planning efforts and manage detailed schedule activity execution for design activities within a team and across organizational boundaries.
• Interface with and support licensing activities associated with Safety Analysis Reports and regulatory submittals.
• Lead design reviews for major milestones and periodic assessment points to verify compliance and completeness of design.

Key Qualifications and Skills

• B.S. in Mechanical or related discipline from an accredited university and 10+ years direct experience with proven mechanical systems skills.
• Demonstrated experience in leading mechanical design of complex structures and equipment in high temperature and multi-discipline integration.
• Working knowledge of the ASME Sect III Code is highly desired.
• Demonstrated diverse and robust experience in leading mechanical design of complex structures and equipment in high temperature and multi-discipline integration. Previous experience with nuclear mechanical components, nuclear reactor equipment, or similar design is highly desired.
• Excellent technical writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Candidate must be a self-starter and possess ability to coordinate and lead a design team’s effort with minimal direction.
• Ability to manage design activities that include many competing objectives and design constraints, with ability to resolve conflicts between objectives.
• Experience working to quality standards on design activities, such as ASME NQA-1 or ISO 9001.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, able to communicate openly, and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

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 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.
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

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

Salary Range: $153,862 – $205,149 Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Job Type: Full-time

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affimation Benefits
• 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

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

Voluntary Self-Identification

As set forth in TerraPower LLC.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

The application deadline for this role is October 12, 2026