Fuel Manufacturing Lead Engineer

Protingent; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing seeks a Fuel Manufacturing Lead Engineer in Bellevue, WA, to guide technical direction for the fuel fabrication chain from lab to production. You will interface with reactor design, neutronics, and safety teams to ensure accurate reflection of fuel properties in manufacturing processes.

The role requires deep expertise in nuclear engineering, experience with QA programs, and a proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and vendors to deliver data and technical

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in nuclear engineering or related field.
• Experience with nuclear QA programs (ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B).
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction to teams across fuel manufacturing and pilot-to-production scale-up.
• Lead development, qualification, and continuous improvement of fuel and non-fuel processes.
• Coordinate with reactor design, neutronics, and safety analysis teams to reflect fuel properties in fabrication.
• Ensure compliance with nuclear QA programs and licensing requirements; promote safety culture.
• Mentor engineers and support staffing plans for program scale-up and continuity.

Skills

Nuclear fuel design

Leadership

Vendor management

Technical writing

Matrix organization

Education

B.S. in Nuclear Engineering

M.S. and/or Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering

Job description

Position Title

Fuel Manufacturing Lead Engineer

Position Description

Protingent Staffing has an exciting FTE Fuel Manufacturing Lead Engineer opportunity.

Job Responsibilities

Provide technical direction and guidance to technical teams working on the fuel fabrication chain, acting as a matrix technical leader across Fuel Manufacturing. Lead technical development and scale-up of fuel and non-fuel manufacturing processes from laboratory and pilot scale to qualified production, including process definition, qualification, and continuous improvement. Provide technical direction to supplier projects, working with project managers and contract administrators to ensure delivery of data and other technical deliverables to meet Company requirements, as well as coordination and performance of technical reviews of deliverables. Establish and/or maintain requirements and specifications related to nuclear fuel and non-fuel core components fabrication and transportation, owning the technical baseline and configuration for fuel manufacturing. Interface with reactor design, neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and safety analysis teams to ensure fuel and non-fuel assembly properties are adequately reflected in fuel fabrication efforts. Ensure Fuel Manufacturing activities comply with Company’s nuclear quality assurance program and applicable codes, standards, and licensing basis requirements, championing strong nuclear safety culture. Mentor engineers to establish key competencies within the team and to support team development, staffing plans, and succession planning to enable program scale-up and long-term operational continuity. Represent Fuel Manufacturing team in other areas such as decision meetings, design reviews, change management, and issue resolution. Support Fuel Manufacturing team in NRC and/or DOE interactions related to fuel fabrication development, operations, supplier qualification activities, licensing, inspections, reportable events, and other topics. Support program planning by providing technical input to schedules, cost estimates, risk management, and technology readiness assessments for Fuel Manufacturing. Support risk identification and mitigation for technical topics within Fuel Manufacturing. Maintain continuous learning and application of nuclear industry best practices to maintain the highest quality of engineering and proactively identify process change/enhancement opportunities. Represent Company in technical events related to fuel cycle and/or fuel manufacturing.

Job Qualifications

Education: 15+ years of experience with B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field. Strong preference for nuclear materials, metallurgy, or nuclear fuel cycle engineering. Relevant M.S. and Doctorate degrees may be credited for up to three or five years of experience respectively. Demonstrated technical expertise in nuclear fuel design and/or fuel manufacturing, strongly preferred in metallic fuel for fast reactors or other advanced reactor fuels. Experience working under a nuclear QA program (e.g., ASME NQA?1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, or equivalent), including audits, nonconformance disposition, and corrective actions. Experience with fuel fabrication facility licensing (10 CFR 70 or equivalent) desired. Experience managing or technically directing vendors or contractors for nuclear-grade component fabrication, including supplier qualification, source inspection, and nonconformance disposition. Proven ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization, building alignment among diverse stakeholders. Experience mentoring and developing technical teams. Ability to handle projects that include many competing objectives and design constraints, with ability to resolve conflicts between objectives. Excellent writing and communication skills. Strong analytical/problem solving skills, creative thinker. Ability to set direction to solve challenging problems. Ability to work on multiple simultaneous tasks that require a multi-disciplinary approach. Attention to detail and aspiration for technical excellence. The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly, and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

Travel Required: 0-25%

Job Details

Job Type: Direct Hire

Salary Range: $173,579.98 - $231,439.97

Location: Bellevue, WA

Export control regulations require candidates to be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, or of a protected person status

About Protingent

Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future. #TerraPro