Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Engineer

General Matter, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

General Matter, Inc. seeks a Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer to join our team and ensure safe handling of nuclear materials within a fuel cycle facility. You will develop, implement, and maintain a criticality safety program to meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.

You will conduct evaluations, perform risk assessments, and provide technical guidance to support safe operations, training personnel, and maintaining records for audits and reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of criticality safety regulations, standards, and methodologies (e.g., 10 CFR Part 70, ANSI/ANS-8 series).
• Proficiency with SCALE, MCNP or similar tools.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain nuclear criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) for processes involving fissile materials.
• Perform criticality safety analyses using computational methods (e.g., SCALE, MCNP) to assess system safety.
• Ensure compliance with NRC, DOE, and ANSI/ANS standards and regulations.
• Conduct audits, inspections, and reviews to identify and mitigate criticality safety risks.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and regulatory teams to implement safety measures.
• Provide technical guidance and training on criticality safety principles and procedures.
• Investigate criticality safety incidents and develop corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate documentation to support audits and regulatory reviews.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

First principles

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Criticality safety knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or related field

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

SCALE

MCNP

Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer certification (ANSI/ANS-8.24)

PE license (preferred)

Job description

About the Company

General Matter enriches uranium.

We are designing, building, and operating the world’s lowest-cost enrichment services, here in the US.

In the process, we are restoring America’s ability to produce nuclear fuel to power AI, advanced manufacturing and critical industries our country relies on to remain competitive.

Fuel drives the cost of advanced reactor electricity production, and enrichment drives the cost of the fuel that advanced reactors consume. Reliable, low-cost enrichment is the catalyst for the nuclear Renaissance now under way.

Our mission is to make nuclear not only the cleanest and safest source of baseload power, but also the most affordable. We believe abundant nuclear energy will lead to a post-scarcity society.

We were incubated inside Founders Fund, like Anduril and Palantir before us, and are backed by over a dozen of the world's top venture capital firms.

Our lean, world-class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production.

We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency.

Help us build a high-energy society by making the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable.

About This Role

We are seeking a skilled Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer to join our team and play a critical role in ensuring the safe and effective handling of nuclear materials. You will be part of the team responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a criticality safety program to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. You will conduct evaluations, perform risk assessments, and provide technical expertise to support safe operations within a nuclear fuel cycle facility.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain nuclear criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) for processes involving fissile materials.
• Perform criticality safety analyses, utilizing computational methods and tools (e.g., SCALE, MCNP) to assess system safety and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with NRC, DOE, and ANSI/ANS criticality safety standards and regulations.
• Conduct audits, inspections, and reviews of facility operations to identify and mitigate criticality safety risks.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and regulatory teams to implement effective safety measures.
• Provide technical guidance and training to personnel on criticality safety principles and procedures.
• Investigate criticality safety incidents and develop corrective actions as necessary.
• Maintain accurate documentation and records to support audits and regulatory reviews.

Basic Qualifications

• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to perform trade studies and make clear recommendations using first principles and engineering fundamentals even with partial information.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of criticality safety regulations, standards, and methodologies (e.g., 10 CFR Part 70, ANSI/ANS-8 series).
• Proficiency in computational tools such as SCALE, MCNP, or similar software.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Evidence of exceptional ability (prior projects, portfolio of work, completed products, etc).
• Experience in a fast-paced engineering environment or a highly technical role requiring a resourceful, entrepreneurial approach to complete tasks within tight timeframes or budget constraints.
• Certification as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer (e.g., ANSI/ANS-8.24).
• Advanced degrees.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred or the ability to obtain one.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.

Equal Opportunity Employer

General Matter is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with General Matter is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by 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.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $80,000-$170,000 annually.

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. Please note that the stated salary range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on market conditions, business needs, or other factors. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.