Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer - Uranium Process Systems

Protingent; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing is seeking a Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer – Uranium Process Systems in Oak Ridge, TN for a direct-hire opportunity. You will design and specify process equipment – reactors, vessels, furnaces, kilns, scrubbers, and modular skids – translating temperature, pressure, and containment requirements into fabricable designs while supporting fabrication reviews and testing.

The role emphasizes maintainability, remote handling where appropriate, and documentation control.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline.
• Experience designing process equipment for chemical, nuclear, or high-temperature systems.
• Hands‑on experience building, commissioning, or troubleshooting lab or pilot equipment.
• Strong knowledge of pressure/temperature systems and maintainability.

Responsibilities

• Design and specify process equipment including reactors, vessels, furnaces, kilns, and modular skids.
• Translate requirements into fabricable equipment designs and support testing.
• Participate in fabrication reviews, assembly, installation, alignment, and commissioning.
• Address corrosion, erosion, sealing, insulation, and containment challenges.
• Prepare procurement specs, evaluate vendors, and document commissioning records.
• Assess scale-up effects on heat transfer, mixing, and process performance.

Skills

Process equipment design

Pressure/temperature systems

Fabrication methods

Vendor coordination

Engineering calculations

Documentation management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Position Title: Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer – Uranium Process Systems

Position Description

Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer – Uranium Process Systems opportunity.

Job Responsibilities

Design and specify process equipment, including reactors, vessels, furnaces, kilns, powder-handling systems, gas and vacuum systems, condensers, scrubbers, and modular process skids. Translate temperature, pressure, flow, reaction, solids-handling, and containment requirements into fabricable, operable equipment designs. Participate in equipment fabrication reviews, assembly, installation, alignment, leak testing, commissioning, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Address corrosion, erosion, thermal expansion, sealing, insulation, fatigue, contamination control, and other equipment reliability challenges. Design for maintainability, cleanout, inspection, decontamination, component replacement, and remote handling where appropriate. Prepare procurement specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, review drawings, and support factory and site acceptance testing. Evaluate scale-up effects on heat transfer, mixing, solids transport, gas distribution, residence time, and process performance. Maintain controlled engineering documentation and assess design changes for process, safety, and product-quality impacts.

Job Qualifications

Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline. Experience designing process equipment for chemical, nuclear, ceramic, high-temperature, vacuum, powder-processing, or specialty manufacturing systems. Hands‑on experience building, modifying, commissioning, maintaining, or troubleshooting laboratory, pilot, or demonstration‑facility equipment. Strong knowledge of pressure and temperature systems, thermal equipment, gas systems, rotating or solids‑handling equipment, mechanical interfaces, fabrication methods, and maintainability. Experience developing equipment specifications and working with fabricators, machine shops, integrators, or equipment vendors. Ability to prepare and maintain engineering calculations, drawings, equipment lists, interface requirements, and commissioning records.

Preferred Job Qualifications

Experience with nuclear fuel‑cycle or radiological process equipment. Familiarity with fluorine or UF6 service, corrosion‑resistant materials, gloveboxes, confinement systems, or vacuum equipment. Experience with high‑temperature furnaces, rotary equipment, powder feeders, dryers, kilns, or gas‑solid reaction systems. Experience developing modular pilot plants or skid‑mounted process equipment.

Job Details

Job Type: Full‑time Salary Range: $110-$255K Location: Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite). Due to government contract requirements, this position is restricted to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residential or GC Holder only.

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.