Nuclear Shipyard Integration Engineer

Ocean Atomics; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ocean Atomics is seeking a Nuclear Shipyard Integration Engineer to define interfaces between the reactor plant and the host platform, ensuring buildability, installation, and refueling within shipyard constraints. You will develop fuel handling concepts and coordinate across construction, operation, and refueling stages.

The role requires strong mechanical integration knowledge, shipyard experience, and ability to govern interface control documents across disciplines.

Qualifications

• Experience defining and managing interfaces between a major system and its host structure or platform.
• Strong understanding of mechanical integration foundations, hull/bulkhead penetrations, tolerance stack-up, thermal growth, and shock/vibration in a marine environment.
• Familiarity with shipyard construction methods, modular build, installation sequencing, and heavy lift/rigging.
• Ability to own interface control documentation and coordinate across reactor, naval architecture, and shipyard trades.
• Working knowledge of CAD/PLM and dimensional management tools.

Responsibilities

• Define, document, and own the physical and functional interfaces between the reactor plant and the ship and shipyard.
• Develop and maintain interface control documents and drive their resolution across disciplines.
• Design the fuel handling arrangement and equipment interfaces, access, transfer paths, active cooling, lift points, and refueling/defueling sequences.
• Support modularization, installation sequencing, alignment, and foundation design to ensure the plant can be built and installed.
• Coordinate with reactor, systems, and structural teams to confirm constructability and maintainability.
• Provide integration inputs to build, test, and commissioning teams.

Skills

Interface management

Mechanical integration

Marine engineering knowledge

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, or Nuclear Engineering

Tools

CAD/PLM

Dimensional management tools

Job description

The ocean is the largest undeveloped frontier on earth — and the next chapter of abundant energy will be written at sea. We're building the infrastructure to power it.

About Ocean Atomics (OA)

Ocean Atomics is an American company designing, licensing, and assembling a standardized nuclear electric power plant and the surrounding support systems for maritime applications. We will install these plants on any vessel built to our nuclear-ready standards, and will provide end-to-end sustainment in our planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. We will help develop the licensed operators to unlock this new capability for your energy intensive application at sea. To move fast and to lead the creation of this new market, we are leveraging the compact, proven systems enabled by water-cooled reactors.

Our mission

Scale nuclear energy. Power generations.

Our vision

A maritime commons thriving with abundant, economical, modern, and safe nuclear-powered activity — built, serviced, and staffed by re-industrialized American shipyards and people.

Role Summary

The Nuclear Shipyard Integration Engineer will define the physical and functional interfaces between the reactor plant and its host platform, ensure the design can be built, installed, and refueled within shipyard constraints, and develop the fuel handling arrangement and equipment interfaces across construction, operation, and refueling.

What You'll Do

• Define, document, and own the physical and functional interfaces between the reactor plant and the ship and shipyard
• Develop and maintain interface control documents and drive their resolution across disciplines
• Design the fuel handling arrangement and equipment interfaces, access, transfer paths, active cooling, lift points, and refueling/defueling sequences
• Support modularization, installation sequencing, alignment, and foundation design to ensure the plant can be built and installed
• Ensure interfaces accommodate shock, vibration, thermal growth, and the marine environment across operating and casualty conditions
• Rigorously document integration results and justify methodology in support of the licensing or certification process
• Coordinate with reactor, systems, and structural teams to confirm constructability and maintainability
• Provide integration inputs to build, test, and commissioning teams

What You Bring

• Experience defining and managing interfaces between a major system and its host structure or platform
• Strong understanding of mechanical integration foundations, alignment, hull/bulkhead penetrations, tolerance stack-up, thermal growth, and shock/vibration in a marine environment
• Working knowledge of fuel handling operations and equipment, including access, transfer routes, and refueling/defueling sequences
• Familiarity with shipyard construction methods, including modular build, installation sequencing, and heavy lift/rigging
• Ability to own interface control documentation and coordinate across reactor, naval architecture, and shipyard trades
• Ability to work on a close, rapidly iterative design team
• Strong technical writing skills

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, or Nuclear Engineering
• 5+ years in interface, installation, or integration engineering — ideally naval/marine or large-scale nuclear construction
• Experience with naval nuclear propulsion, transportable, or floating reactor programs
• Familiarity with spent fuel handling, cask/transfer interfaces, and refueling outage logistics
• Working knowledge of CAD/PLM and dimensional management tools

Export control notice

This role involves access to information subject to U.S. export control laws, including unclassified nuclear technology governed by the U.S. Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. Depending on a candidate's status, access may require DOE authorization, which Ocean Atomics may apply for. Any offer is contingent on your ability to work in compliance with these requirements. We evaluate all applicants regardless of citizenship or national origin, except where required by law.

Why this matters

Every industry on Earth needs scalable, clean energy, and the ocean is the ideal place to unlock it. Joining Ocean Atomics means building real, lasting infrastructure — the kind that powers generations. The world needs abundant energy. Let's make it happen.

Ocean Atomics LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

We are committed to a workplace free of discrimination and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations; if you need an accommodation during the application process, contact [e-mail].

Compensation Range: $140K - $240K