Mechanical Engineer - Fuel Recycling

Oklo; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Oklo in Santa Clara is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to help advance our nuclear waste treatment systems from concept to deployment. You will define requirements, work with vendors and ensure systems are practical, reliable, and ready for operation in a regulated nuclear environment.

You will translate objectives into equipment specifications, support reviews, and help simplify designs to improve operability and reduce maintenance, collaborating across engineering, safety, and procurement teams.

Qualifications

• Strong fundamentals in mechanical engineering for nuclear or industrial process equipment.
• Ability to translate requirements into practical equipment solutions and specifications.
• Experience assessing vendor proposals and reviewing design deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical requirements, equipment specifications, and operating concepts for radioactive waste treatment systems.
• Translate process requirements into practical equipment solutions for waste processing, packaging, storage, and material handling.
• Evaluate vendor designs for functionality, maintainability, reliability, contamination control, remote operation.
• Develop and review equipment layouts, P&IDs, material handling flows, tooling concepts, and interfaces.
• Identify opportunities to simplify designs, improve operability, reduce maintenance burden, and readiness.
• Lead or participate in multidisciplinary design reviews and drive technical actions to closure.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Vendor management

Process equipment

Regulatory compliance

Job description

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Mechanical Engineer to join our Fuel Recycling Team.

Position Description

As a Mechanical Engineer supporting our nuclear waste treatment systems, you will develop waste processing equipment from concept through deployment. Rather than performing detailed equipment design yourself, you will define process and mechanical requirements, work closely with equipment vendors, and ensure systems are practical, maintainable, and ready for operation in a nuclear environment.

You will translate waste processing objectives into equipment requirements, operating concepts, vendor specifications, and acceptance criteria while evaluating designs for maintainability, reliability, contamination control, remote operation, and regulatory compliance. Success in this role requires sound mechanical engineering judgment, an understanding of industrial process equipment, and the ability to recognize when a design is overly complex, under-specified, or not ready for production use.

This role on the waste engineering team works closely with process engineering, mechanical design, controls, safety, radiation protection, licensing, procurement, operations, and external vendors to deliver integrated waste treatment systems.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Develop mechanical requirements, equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, and operating concepts for radioactive waste treatment systems.
• Translate process requirements into practical equipment solutions for waste processing, packaging, storage, and material handling.
• Evaluate vendor designs for functionality, maintainability, reliability, contamination control, remote operation, and lifecycle performance.
• Develop and review equipment layouts, P&IDs, material handling flows, tooling concepts, and mechanical interfaces.
• Identify opportunities to simplify designs, improve operability, reduce maintenance burden, and increase production readiness.
• Support procurement by finding relevant vendors, preparing technical specifications, evaluating vendor proposals, and reviewing design deliverables.
• Lead or participate in multidisciplinary design reviews and drive technical action items to closure.