Materials Engineer, Ceramics

Antares; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Antares in Torrance, CA seeks a Fuels and Ceramics Engineer to develop and qualify ceramic materials for reactor applications. You will lead testing, collaborate across institutions, and evaluate material properties under reactor-like conditions.

The role requires a solid foundation in ceramic materials, experimental design, and cross-functional teamwork to advance safe, high-performance fuel and ceramic components.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering or a related physics-based field.
• 2+ years of experience in materials science and engineering.
• Proficiency in optical and electron microscopy as well as mechanical property evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and qualification for ceramic materials in the reactor, including lifetime testing, cross-institutional collaboration, and property evaluation.
• Design and conduct physical, thermal, and mechanical testing of materials that replicates the reactor environment.
• Employ statistical methods to systematically evaluate effects of process variables and environmental effects on materials properties.
• Materials characterization including root cause investigations of failure modes.
• Interface with manufacturing, neutronics, mechanical, testing, and quality engineers to integrate materials into the overall system, define limits to operating conditions based on material properties, and optimize processes related to fuel and ceramic materials.

Skills

Materials science & engineering

Ceramics

Microscopy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering or related field

Tools

Optical microscopy

Electron microscopy

Mechanical testing

Job description

About Us

At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.

Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Los Alamos, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. Antares has raised over $130M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $13M in government funding.

About the Team

As the Fuels and Ceramics Engineer you will be in charge of development and qualification for all fuel and ceramics materials in the reactor. This will consist of developing experiments, processes, and quality control as well as working with vendors and collaborators to identify and rectify critical gaps in material behavior at our operating conditions. This position requires a deep understanding of the fundamentals of ceramic materials as well as general materials characterization methods. The ideal candidate will apply fundamental knowledge of ceramics to the practical applications of manufacturing in a fast-paced environment while also pushing innovation for the next generation of these materials – driving Antares to be a recognized leader in nuclear materials.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead the development and qualification for ceramic materials in the reactor, including lifetime testing, cross-institutional collaboration, and property evaluation.


• Design and conduct physical, thermal, and mechanical testing of materials that replicates the reactor environment.


• Employ statistical methods to systematically evaluate effects of process variables and environmental effects on materials properties.


• Materials characterization including root cause investigations of failure modes.


• Interface with manufacturing, neutronics, mechanical, testing, and quality engineers to integrate materials into the overall system, define limits to operating conditions based on material properties, and optimize processes related to fuel and ceramic materials.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering or a related physics-based field.


• 2+ years of experience in materials science and engineering.


• Proficiency in optical and electron microscopy as well as mechanical property evaluation.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated expertise in TRISO fuel characterization and manufacturing or related coating processes.


• Strong understanding of safety standards, testing protocols, and highly regulated industries.


• Expert in testing and analysis methods for fuel and ceramic materials.


• Exceptional communication skills to work effectively across teams and convey technical information to non-specialists.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones.

Salary Range

• Materials Engineer, Ceramics II - $115,000 - $150,000


• Senior Materials Engineer, Ceramics - $140,000 - $185,000

Location

We are located in Torrance, CA in a 322,000 square foot, brand new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our facility is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises.

Culture

• Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. “If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete.” Over-optimizing the components often degrades the system


• Obsession over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle


• Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's “how it's always been done”


• Go Where the Work Is - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if it means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together


• Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption

Equal Opportunity

Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.