Manager, Fuel Fabrication

Protingent; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing seeks a Manager, Fuel Fabrication in Bellevue, WA to lead in-house lab and pilot-scale operations, advancing furnace casting, metallographic evaluation, and fuel material testing.

The role requires deep nuclear materials expertise, strong communication, and coordination with reactor design, safety, and procurement teams, while maintaining schedule, quality, and NRC/DOE interactions.

Qualifications

• Education: 10+ 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.
• MS and PhD degrees may credit for up to years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with testing and operations teams to advance lab and pilot-scale operations.
• Interface with reactor design, neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and safety analysis teams.
• Serve as engineering owner for fuel components from feedstock to final fuel assemblies.
• Coordinate with Quality to meet fuel fabrication requirements and with NRC/DOE on interactions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team with performance accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Nuclear materials

Project management

Education

B.S. in Nuclear Engineering or related field

Job description

Position Title: Manager, Fuel Fabrication

Protingent Staffing has an exciting FTE Manager, Fuel Fabrication opportunity.

Job Responsibilities:

Collaborate with testing and operations teams to ensure in-house laboratory and pilot-scale operations progress manufacturing maturity, including furnace casting, metallographic evaluation, sample preparation, and fuel material acceptance testing such as dimensional, chemical, and microstructural characterization. Interface with reactor design, neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and safety analysis teams to ensure fuel material properties are adequately reflected in fuel fabrication efforts. Serve as the engineering owner for fuel components from metal feedstock to final fuel assemblies. Coordinate with Quality to ensure fuel fabrication deliverables meet quality requirements. Serve as the Company's point of contact NRC and/or DOE interactions related to fuel fabrication development, operations, supplier qualification activities, licensing, inspections, reportable events, and other topics. Lead, mentor, and develop a team, with accountability for performance, goal setting, and career development. Develop and execute staffing plans and succession strategies to support program scale-up and long-term operational continuity. Maintain visibility on production status; identify and proactively mitigate schedule or quality risks across the supply chain. Demonstrated technical expertise in metallic nuclear fuels, such as alloy casting process development or fuel material characterization, especially as it pertains to fast reactor metal fuel qualification. Experience managing or technically directing vendors or contractors for nuclear-grade component fabrication, including supplier qualification, source inspection, and NCR disposition. Familiarity with engineering drawing standards, GD&T, material specifications (ASTM, ASME), and nuclear-grade procurement documentation requirements. Support continuous learning and application of nuclear industry best practices to maintain the highest quality of engineering and proactively identify process change/enhancement opportunities.

Job Qualifications:

Education: 10+ 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 two or four years of experience respectively. Excellent writing and communication skills. Strong analytical/problem solving skills, creative thinker. Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems. Ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently during a given work week. Excellent attention to detail. 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:

0-10%

Job Details:

Job Type: Direct Hire Salary Range: $153,861 - $205,149 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