Materials Engineer - Coating Development

TerraPower, LLC is seeking a highly motivated Materials Engineer to support the engineering efforts of the Core Materials Qualification team. This role will work as part of a high functioning team of engineers focused on material selection, development, and testing for next generation material and components for sodium cooled fast reactors. You will be responsible for developing coatings supporting the performance requirements of the Natrium Reactor.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the qualification of core coatings, including material selection, testing, and vendor scaling activities
• Interface with various project teams to ensure materials development and testing efforts meet programmatic objectives
• Source and screen potential coating materials and surface treatment technologies for improved friction, wear, and self-welding performance
• Lead vendor contracts to research, develop, and implement custom coatings and surface treatments for a high neutron fluence, high temperature sodium environment
• Coordinate in sodium testing needs with testing teams using in-house and out-of-house capabilities
• Work with vendors and fabricators to procure specimens necessary to complete testing and to scale up coatings to component applications, including authoring statements of work and managing supplier performance to plan
• Oversee material property test programs at external vendors, e.g. for neutron irradiation performance or mechanical properties
• Collect data, develop, and maintain materials databases for design and licensing needs
• Provide material selection guidance for TerraPower's reactor development programs
• Compose technical documents including test plans, test specifications, technical reports, and scientific studies related to materials and core design
• Maintain project schedule and ensure timely delivery of results
• Perform scientific analysis on test data and generate technical reports to document new knowledge related to materials performance and behavior, reactor design, and materials qualification

Key Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree with minimum 6 years of related experience or a Master's degree and 3 years of related experience or a PhD. A degree in Materials Science/Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required.
• Demonstrated experience developing specialized metallic and cermet coatings for extreme environments is required
• A thorough understanding of tribology and surface engineering in non-lubricated environments is required
• Proficiency in writing and producing technical documentation including test reports and studies is required
• Experience writing specifications for the procurement, fabrication, or testing of materials is strongly desired
• Prior experience in materials development, testing, and characterization for nuclear research or industry applications is desired
• Experience working to quality standards such as ASME NQA-1, AS9100, ISO17025 or others is desired
• Proficiency in experimental techniques for materials analysis such as optical microscopy, microhardness, profilometry, and SEM is preferred
• Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems is required
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Job Functions:

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation. Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations. An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

Job details

Salary Range: $138,685 - $208,027

Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information: https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/