Senior Mechanical Engineer, Fuel Handling Systems (Nuclear)

Aalo Atomic; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Aalo Atomics in Austin, TX seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and operate test infrastructure for the Fuel Handling System, validating mechanical systems in challenging environments.

You will run tests on components, diagnose failures, and iterate rapidly with hands-on fabrication, collaborating with design engineers to move concepts to reality. This role emphasizes ownership and practical skills in a pioneering clean-energy program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 6+ years of hands-on engineering experience.
• Experience with fabrication, assembly, or electro‑mechanical testing.
• Strong mechanical intuition and troubleshooting ability.
• Comfortable working with incomplete requirements and high ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design and build test rigs for mechanical, thermal, and fluid validation.
• Execute tests on valves, seals, hoists, and handling mechanisms.
• Develop test strategies for systems operating in sodium, inert gas, and high-temperature environments.
• Instrument systems (pressure, temperature, force, radiation proxies, etc.) and collect high-quality data.
• Diagnose failures and iterate with design engineers to improve designs.
• Perform hands‑on fabrication, assembly, and modification of test hardware.
• Develop procedures for testing sodium vaporization, sealing performance, and mechanism reliability.
• Document results and clearly communicate findings, risks, and blockers.
• Support system integration and commissioning efforts.
• Travel occasionally to test sites or reactor installations.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Fabrication

Troubleshooting

Ownership

Mechanical intuition

Data acquisition

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Instrumentation and data acquisition

Sodium-compatible components testing

Job description

Aalo Atomics in Austin, TX seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and operate test infrastructure for the Fuel Handling System, validating mechanical systems in challenging environments.

You will run tests on components, diagnose failures, and iterate rapidly with hands-on fabrication, collaborating with design engineers to move concepts to reality. This role emphasizes ownership and practical skills in a pioneering clean-energy program.