Plant Process Simulation Engineer II

OKLO; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Equity

Bonuses

401(k)

Health insurance (employer contrib.)

HSA

FSA

Flexible work hours

Wellness credits

Job summary

Oklo is seeking a Plant Process Simulation Engineer to own the plant process simulation model for the Aurora power plant, informing design, operations, and plant dynamics. Responsibilities include building models in AVEVA Process Simulation, ASPEN/HYSYS, and Siemens Flomaster, and collaborating across process engineering, I&C, power generation, and distribution teams.

The role emphasizes rapid learning, creative problem solving, and clear technical communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemical, mechanical, nuclear, aerospace engineering or related engineering discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience in the development or modeling of plant processes in the power generation, petroleum, chemical, or other similar industries.
• Broad familiarity with engineering principles, with strong systems engineering and operations intuition.
• Strong knowledge of plant thermodynamic cycle and process fluid modeling at an equipment and plant-level.

Responsibilities

• Generate and own a plant process simulation model in AVEVA Process Simulation, ASPEN/HYSYS, Siemens Flomaster, or similar tool, that models and creates both transient and steady state plant performance results.
• Iteratively model existing and future plant equipment and maintain the model as new design parameters and drawings are produced.
• Establish automated plant model development to accelerate design decision making and inform plant economics and operations.
• Use equipment specifications and performance results to generate and implement detailed equipment component models.
• Work in cross disciplinary teams, including process engineering, instrumentation and control, power generation and distribution teams.
• Generate technical documentation and reports to be included in regulatory filings and internal/external technical reports showing plant and equipment performance.

Skills

Plant process modeling

Thermodynamics

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemical/mechanical/nuclear/aerospace engineering or related

Tools

AVEVA Process Simulation

ASPEN/HYSYS

Siemens Flomaster

Job description

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Plant Process Simulation Engineer to join our engineering team. We are looking to fill this position immediately.

Position Description

Oklo is looking for an experienced process simulation engineer to be responsible for the development and ownership of the plant process simulation model for the Aurora power plant to inform design, operations, and plant dynamics.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Generate and own a plant process simulation model in AVEVA Process Simulation, ASPEN/HYSYS, Siemens Flomaster, or similar tool, that models and creates both transient and steady state plant performance results.
• Iteratively model existing and future plant equipment and maintain the model as new design parameters and drawings are produced.
• Establish automated plant model development to accelerate design decision making and inform plant economics and operations.
• Use equipment specifications and performance results to generate and implement detailed equipment component models.
• Work in cross disciplinary teams, including process engineering, instrumentation and control, power generation and distribution teams.
• Generate technical documentation and reports to be included in regulatory filings and internal/external technical reports showing plant and equipment performance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in chemical, mechanical, nuclear, aerospace engineering or related engineering discipline
• At least 5 years of experience in the development or modeling of plant processes in the power generation, petroleum, chemical, or other similar industries
• Broad familiarity with engineering principles, with strong systems engineering and operations intuition
• Strong knowledge of plant thermodynamic cycle and process fluid modeling at an equipment and plant-level

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with building power conversion system process simulation models
• Experience with designing process systems in power or chemical industries

We are looking for a Plant Process Simulation Engineer that is:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• Able to communicate technical content and results both verbally and in writing

Who you are:

A startup person : You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

Salary: $115,000 - $150,000 base salary, performance incentives, and equity.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values

• Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
• Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
• Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
• Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.

Candidates should be aware that employment may be contingent upon successful completion of a drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing at any time in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.

As set forth in Oklo’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.