The Reactor Vessel and Internal Structures Design Lead, under the direction of the Nuclear Facility Program Manager, is primarily responsible for owning the mechanical and structural design of the IMSR Reactor Vessel, reactor internals, and core support structures. Establish the design basis and directing the analyses that qualify the Systems, Structures, and Components (SSCs) in support of design certification and the NRC licensing basis. The role is the program's technical authority for these components and coordinates closely with Mechanical Engineering, Stress Analysis, Materials Science, Reactor Physics, and Thermal Hydraulics.
Responsibilities
- Own the mechanical and structural design of the IMSR4 Reactor Vessel and its pressure boundary and the Reactor Internal Structures (Internal Component and Core Supports, Internal metallic flow guides and partitions through design certification.
- Establish and maintain the design basis for these components: design loads, load combinations, service conditions, and acceptance criteria, documented in the design-basis and licensing record.
- Lead the structural classification and ASME code-of-construction approach for the vessel pressure boundary and core supports, including selection of the applicable Section III Division 5 rules for high-temperature service.
- Define the scope and acceptance criteria for the supporting structural, thermal, creep-fatigue, seismic, and flow-induced-vibration analyses, then direct and review that work performed by the Stress Analysis group rather than performing it directly.
- Set material-selection and qualification requirements for the high-temperature, salt-wetted metallic pressure boundary and internals, working with Materials Science on alloy behavior under irradiation and molten-salt corrosion.
- Manage the design interfaces between the reactor vessel and internals and adjacent scopes, the graphite moderator (non-metallic), the primary heat exchanger and primary pumps, core geometry and reactivity (Reactor Physics), fuel-salt flow and thermal conditions (Thermal Hydraulics), and external vessel supports and connected systems.
- Develop and maintain the component design documentation underpinning the NRC licensing basis, design specifications, design reports, and the supporting evidence for design-certification submittals.
- Serve as technical authority for the reactor vessel and internals in design reviews, NRC interactions, and supplier/fabricator technical exchanges, and guide less-senior engineers on design and analysis approach.
Core Competencies
- Expertise in nuclear component structural design and mechanical integrity, including design-by-analysis methods and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III practice across pressure-boundary and core-support components.
- Knowledge of high-temperature design behavior: creep, creep-fatigue, thermal ratcheting, and elevated-temperature material response relevant to non-LWR (e.g., molten-salt) service.
- Ability to specify, direct, and critically review structural, seismic, thermal, and flow-induced-vibration analyses without performing them, setting requirements and judging the adequacy of others' work.
- Strong grasp of materials behavior in nuclear environments: irradiation effects, high-temperature corrosion in molten salt, and structural-alloy compatibility, sufficient to drive material selection alongside materials specialists.
- Skill in managing cross-discipline technical interfaces and translating reactor-physics, thermal-hydraulic, and licensing inputs into concrete design and acceptance criteria.
- Technical leadership and mentoring.
- Clear technical communication for design reviews, NRC-facing documentation, and supplier exchanges.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Structural, Nuclear, or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Minimum 12 years of nuclear or other safety-related mechanical/structural design experience, including ownership of pressure-boundary or major-component design basis and documentation.
- Direct experience applying ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III to the design of nuclear pressure-retaining or core-support components.
- Experience producing design and analysis documentation to a regulatory/licensing standard of rigor.
Assets
- Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.
- Experience with ASME Section III Division 5 high-temperature design (Class A components, creep-fatigue and elevated-temperature rules) for reactor vessels or pressure-boundary components.
- Direct experience with high-temperature or large nuclear pressure-vessel design.
- Prior experience taking a reactor vessel or major component through a completed NRC design certification, construction permit, or advanced-reactor (10 CFR Part 53) submittal, including familiarity with the Licensing Modernization Project methodology (NEI 18-04 / Regulatory Guide 1.233).
Benefits
- Extended Healthcare Plan
- A vacation policy designed to support your work-life balance
- EAP Programs available to you and your family
- Wellness Subsidy
- Annual Performance Review
- Paid Volunteer Days - A chance to give back!
- Career development opportunities
Please submit a Resume and Cover Letter.
