Materials Engineer, Coatings for Nuclear Reactors

Next Gen Mfg; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 208,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation

Relocation Assistance

401k Plan

Generous PTO and holidays

Job summary

TerraPower, based in Bellevue, Washington, seeks a Materials Engineer to advance coatings development for the Natrium reactor. The role focuses on selecting, testing, and qualifying core coatings and surface treatments for extreme reactor conditions.

You will coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to ensure performance and regulatory compliance, maintaining data and delivering technical reports that support licensing and design work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science/Engineering or related field.
• Experience developing specialized metallic and ceramic coatings for extreme environments.
• Understanding of tribology and surface engineering in non-lubricated environments.
• Experience writing technical documentation and test reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead the qualification of core coatings, including material selection, testing, and vendor scaling activities.
• Interface with project teams to ensure materials development meets objectives.
• Source and screen coating materials and surface treatment technologies for friction, wear, and self-welding performance.
• Lead vendor contracts to research, develop, and implement coatings for high neutron fluence, high temperature sodium environments.
• Coordinate in-sodium testing needs with testing teams.
• Procure specimens and scale up coatings to component applications; draft statements of work and manage supplier performance.
• Oversee material property test programs at external vendors (neutron irradiation, mechanical properties).
• Collect data, develop and maintain materials databases for design and licensing needs.
• Provide material selection guidance for TerraPower reactor programs.
• Compose test plans, specifications, reports, and studies.

Skills

Coatings development

Tribology

Materials testing

Technical documentation

Nuclear materials

Quality standards

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science/Engineering

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

SEM

Optical microscopy

Profilometry

Microhardness testing

Job description

TerraPower, based in Bellevue, Washington, seeks a Materials Engineer to advance coatings development for the Natrium reactor. The role focuses on selecting, testing, and qualifying core coatings and surface treatments for extreme reactor conditions.

You will coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to ensure performance and regulatory compliance, maintaining data and delivering technical reports that support licensing and design work.