Senior Thermal-Mechanical Design Engineer - Nuclear Systems

Lever, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Last Energy, a US technology company pioneering compact nuclear power, seeks a Thermal Engineer to design the pressure-boundary hardware for its micro nuclear power plant. You will turn thermal requirements into manufacturable hardware, from hand calculations to initial designs, working with analysis and structural engineers.

You will own heat exchangers, piping networks, tanks, and the primary loop, perform thermal-structural analyses, and collaborate daily with a multidisciplinary startup team

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 7+ years of hands-on experience.
• Experience as Mechanical/Thermal/Design Engineer on thermal systems within power plants, nuclear, or complex industrial systems.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD for mechanical design of thermal components.
• Proficiency in analysis software for structural and thermal stress analysis.
• Solid knowledge of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and design principles.
• Experience with pressure vessel or piping design codes (ASME BPVC III/VIII, B31.1/B31.3).
• Hands-on design bias toward manufacturability and deployable hardware.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration in a startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptual design, analysis, and execution of thermal‑mechanical components and systems for our advanced power plant
• Drive mechanical design of components subject to thermal loading
• Own the design of heat exchangers, piping networks, tanks, and other pressure-boundary equipment, and partner with structural engineers for validation
• Perform thermal and structural analyses to validate designs against pressure, temperature, and cyclic loading
• Translate thermal performance requirements into manufacturable, deployable hardware
• Collaborate daily with a multidisciplinary team to integrate thermal‑mechanical solutions into cohesive plant-level designs
• Support material selection, tolerancing, and design-for-manufacturing decisions for high‑temperature and high‑pressure components
• Operate autonomously, driving projects from concept to design verification in a startup culture

Skills

Heat transfer knowledge

Thermodynamics

Manufacturing bias

Excellent communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

SolidWorks

Siemens NX

PTC Creo

ANSYS Mechanical

Abaqus

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

Last Energy, a US technology company pioneering compact nuclear power, seeks a Thermal Engineer to design the pressure-boundary hardware for its micro nuclear power plant. You will turn thermal requirements into manufacturable hardware, from hand calculations to initial designs, working with analysis and structural engineers.

You will own heat exchangers, piping networks, tanks, and the primary loop, perform thermal-structural analyses, and collaborate daily with a multidisciplinary startup team