About the roleWe are seeking a highly experienced Senior/Principal Finite Element Analyst to lead thermomechanical and structural analysis for advanced sodium-cooled reactor systems at Aalo.
In this role, you will own high-consequence finite element analysis for reactor structures, components, and supporting systems operating under demanding thermal, mechanical, seismic, fluid-coupled, and radiation environments. You will work closely with mechanical design, thermal-hydraulics, nuclear, materials, manufacturing, and licensing teams to turn complex physics into defensible engineering decisions.
This is a senior technical role for an analyst who can build models from first principles, challenge assumptions, interpret results with strong engineering judgment, and produce documentation suitable for nuclear-quality design and review.
What you'll do- Develop, execute, and maintain finite element models for reactor components, structures, and mechanical systems subject to coupled thermal and mechanical loading
- Perform linear and nonlinear structural analysis, thermal stress analysis, fatigue evaluation, buckling assessment, modal/dynamic analysis, and seismic response analysis
- Evaluate high-temperature components and structures against applicable nuclear design codes and standards, including ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III
- Use NASTRAN and other commercial solvers to analyze complex load cases, boundary conditions, interfaces, and transient operating conditions
- Support sodium-cooled reactor design by evaluating thermal gradients, pressure loads, mechanical loads, restraint loads, seismic loads, radiation effects, startup/shutdown transients, and off-normal events
- Collaborate with thermal-hydraulics and reactor systems teams on fluid-structure interaction problems, flow-induced vibration, thermal striping, and coupled structural response
- Translate analysis results into clear design recommendations, safety margins, test requirements, and engineering tradeoffs
- Prepare high-quality technical reports, calculation packages, and analysis documentation for internal design reviews, licensing support, and quality-controlled engineering work
- Establish modeling standards, verification practices, analysis templates, and review expectations for structural and thermomechanical analysis at Aalo
- Mentor engineers and analysts; serve as a technical authority for finite element methods, structural mechanics, and thermomechanical design evaluation
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline
- 10+ years of professional finite element analysis experience in nuclear, aerospace, energy, pressure systems, defense, or another high-consequence engineering environment
- Deep understanding of structural mechanics, thermomechanics, heat transfer, stress analysis, and finite element methods
- Strong experience with NASTRAN for structural, thermal, modal, dynamic, or coupled analysis
- Experience evaluating pressure-retaining components, reactor internals, piping, support structures, heat exchangers, high-temperature equipment, or similar safety-critical hardware
- Working knowledge of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III
- Demonstrated ability to define load cases, boundary conditions, contacts/interfaces, mesh strategies, convergence checks, and model verification approaches
- Strong engineering judgment and ability to determine whether analysis results are physically reasonable
- Proven ability to write clear technical documentation and defend assumptions, methods, results, and conclusions in rigorous design reviews
Preferred Qualifications- Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related discipline
- Direct experience with nuclear reactor systems, sodium-cooled reactors, advanced reactors, reactor internals, or nuclear-grade mechanical systems
- Experience with fluid-structure interaction, flow-induced vibration, thermal striping, sloshing, acoustic loading, or coupled thermal-hydraulic/structural analysis
- Experience evaluating structures and components exposed to neutron irradiation, radiation-induced material degradation, swelling, embrittlement, irradiation creep, or other reactor-environment effects.
- Experience with ASME Section III Division 1 or Division 5 design-by-analysis methods
- Experience with fatigue, creep, creep-fatigue, fracture mechanics, ratcheting, shakedown, plastic collapse, or high-temperature structural design
- Experience supporting DOE, NRC, national laboratory, or nuclear licensing projects
- Familiarity with NQA-1, quality-controlled analysis workflows, model V&V, and configuration-controlled calculation packages
- Experience with additional tools such as Abaqus, ANSYS Mechanical, LS-DYNA, COMSOL, Femap, HyperMesh, Simcenter 3D, or in-house analysis automation
- Experience developing analysis automation, post-processing scripts, or standardized workflows using AI, Python, MATLAB, or similar tools
Requirements: - Based in the United States
- Willing to work on-site in Austin, TX
What We Offer:- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Corporate Gym Membership
Additional Information: Direct applicants only. No recruiters or staffing agencies, please.
