Lead Mechanical Engineer, Remote Handling and Special Components

Kairos Power; Oak Ridge (TN); Remote; USD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative company is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to drive the design and development of advanced reactor systems. This role focuses on remote handling and special components, requiring expertise in modular design and hardware technologies. You will lead a team, mentor junior engineers, and ensure compliance with industry regulations while contributing to groundbreaking projects in clean energy. This position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact in the nuclear energy sector, ensuring safety and efficiency in operations while collaborating with diverse engineering teams. Join us in shaping the future of energy!

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in hardware development for demanding applications.
• Expertise in high-temperature systems and remote operations.
• Strong communication and mentoring skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of hardware technologies for reactor systems.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure compliance with safety standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and manage project documentation.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering

High-Temperature Systems

Remote Operations

Problem-Solving Skills

Communication Skills

Education

S. degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Lead Mechanical Engineer, Remote Handling and Special Components

Join to apply for the Lead Mechanical Engineer, Remote Handling and Special Components role at Kairos Power.

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

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Lead Mechanical Engineer focused on Remote Handling Special Components with expertise in modular component and equipment design for remotely operated systems. In this role, you will lead design, demonstration, and iterative development of hardware technologies enabling rapid assembly of reactor system components with enhanced maintenance and inspection capability. This Lead's responsibilities will include integrating remote handling operations into modular design and influencing system touchpoints for efficient handling. Additionally, you will lead and mentor junior engineers, building foundational expertise through design and testing of prototypes.

Responsibilities

1. Apply lifecycle design practices, including maintainability, inspectability, and decommissioning considerations, during component development.
2. Act as a technical liaison with vendors and suppliers to ensure design feasibility and manufacturability of specialized components.
3. Develop interface control documentation for integration of remote handling components into larger plant systems.
4. Develop structured test protocols, define acceptance criteria, and coordinate test readiness reviews with QA and systems engineering.
5. Provide technical support to project scheduling and cost estimating teams to ensure design activities are accurately represented in project plans.
6. Implement design revisions based on test outcomes or operational feedback.
7. Ensure compliance with nuclear industry regulations, safety standards, and applicable codes.
8. Implement risk assessments and reliability analyses for heated and mechanical support components.
9. Contribute to design basis documentation and regulatory submittals.
10. Maintain up-to-date design documentation following configuration management practices and digital engineering standards.

Remote Handling Solutions

1. Develop remote handling techniques and processes that enable component repairs with minimal impact on plant operations.
2. Lead conceptual reviews and demonstrations of remote handling approaches through iterative design, build, and test cycles.
3. Collaborate with engineering and remote handling teams to develop online and offline reactor maintenance strategies.

Testing and Validation

1. Identify testing opportunities aligned with reactor schedules and communicate proposals to relevant teams and leadership.
2. Design integrated solutions supported by execution plans for rapid demonstration.
3. Participate in inspections, quality checks, pre-commissioning, installations, shakedown, tuning, hot commissioning, and other activities to verify performance.

Collaboration

Collaborate with engineering teams, laboratory and shop staff, materials teams, and industry partners to organize inputs and accelerate hardware development projects.

Engineering Reports

Publish reports documenting design details, test results, and lessons learned.

Team Building

Share knowledge and mentor junior engineers in design and testing of prototypes.

Qualifications

• S. degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 10+ years of experience developing and delivering hardware for demanding applications.
• Expertise in high-temperature systems.
• Experience with remote operations, molten salt, or advanced reactor systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with data acquisition platforms (e.g., LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python).
• Experience in regulated industries such as nuclear, aerospace, or defense is desirable.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of radiation effects on materials is desirable.
• Background in electrical systems, optical systems, and packaging.
• Experience with pressure and fluid systems, power electronics, and non-destructive inspection techniques.
• Knowledge of ASME codes and piping standards is a plus.
• Experience mentoring engineers.
• Proactive problem-solving skills and safety prioritization.

Physical and Environmental Conditions

Includes working at heights, in confined spaces, and in various environments with safety PPE, with approximately 25% travel required.

Additional Requirements

Occasional schedule flexibility and extended hours may be needed for project milestones.