Senior Mechanical Systems Licensing Engineer

Job Summary 

Kairos Power seeks a dedicated Senior Mechanical Systems Licensing Engineer with a strong background in mechanical systems design, ideally with mechanical, chemical or nuclear engineering experience. This role will lead and perform assigned licensing activities supporting KP-FHR reactor facility licensing applications as well as topical reports. While prior nuclear licensing experience is not required, candidates with mechanical or chemical design experience and a willingness to learn will be given priority, as we are committed to providing comprehensive training in licensing and regulatory processes.

As a Senior Licensing Engineer, you will work closely with engineering design, safety analysis and technology development teams to ensure that regulatory requirements are identified and implemented in alignment with Kairos Power’s licensing strategies. You will contribute to the preparation of regulatory submittals, reports and materials for pre-application interactions with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC).

Responsibilities 

• Develops licensing document content, programs and supporting licensing related products and activities, specifically geared toward the reactor facility systems, with a focus on the reactor vessel, decay heat removal system, inventory management system, primary heat transport system, and other auxiliary systems.
• Leads the development of assigned portions of Kairos Power license applications and supports planning, development and defense activities.
• Prepares for and supports pre-application meeting interactions with the USNRC.
• Develops and prepares licensing strategies supporting license application development and execution.
• Leads resolution of key strategic licensing issues, including development of regulatory strategies and submittals on topics such as reactor vessel design, material qualification, etc.
• Coordinates with engineering and safety analysis teams to support development of safety analysis documentation.
• Coordinates with engineering and other technology development teams to support development of testing programs to meet regulatory requirements.
• Supports Project Management and Engineering teams to develop execution plans, including schedules, milestones, cost models, decision criteria, etc. that meet Kairos Power’s objectives.
• Identifies and translates roll down of top-level regulatory requirements into design requirements.
• Provides technical guidance and review to less-experienced engineers preparing licensing or regulatory deliverables.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

• BS or MS degree in Mechanical, Chemical or Nuclear Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in facility or system engineering design, analysis, construction, qualification, testing, or implementation; mechanical or chemical engineering experience highly preferred. Nuclear licensing experience is not required—we are willing to provide training.
• Experience in system design, with thorough understanding of evaluation, design and implementation of new technologies.
• Demonstrated coordination skills including advisory, relationship and stakeholder management skills fit to handle a small / start-up environment; demonstrated ability to earn the trust of team members and management.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of mechanical system design, including analysis, qualification, and implementation of engineering solutions.
• Ability to interpret regulatory requirements, codes, standards, licensing commitments, and technical criteria and translate them into clear, traceable design, analysis, testing, and documentation requirements.
• Ability to develop technically supportable licensing strategies, regulatory positions and issue-resolution approaches for complex reactor facility systems.
• Ability to prepare and review clear, accurate and technically defensible license application content, topical reports, technical reports, regulatory correspondence, and presentation materials.
• Ability to integrate engineering design, safety analysis, testing, and licensing information into complete and consistent regulatory deliverables.
• Ability to lead the resolution of complex technical and regulatory issues involving multiple engineering disciplines and organizational stakeholders.
• Ability to evaluate technical information, identify regulatory risks or gaps, and develop practical recommendations consistent with project and licensing objectives.
• Eager to learn and develop skills in nuclear licensing, with a proactive and growth-oriented mindset.
• Entrepreneurial, flexible, open to new ideas, collaborative in nature with full buy-in to the Kairos Power mission.
• Proven team player with excellent verbal, written communication/presentation and interpersonal skills. Must be able to interact and communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
• A natural bias for independent action, comfortable delivering on commitments and holding him/herself and team accountable; a respectful individual that embraces challenges with an unwavering focus on driving results and meeting milestones.
• Ability to work with highly collaborative team.
• Ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge.
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues.
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others.

Physical Conditions

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like.
• Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders).
• Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments, including tight and confined spaces.
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.
• Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 40 pounds, in all directions.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment.
• Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind.
• Noisy Environments.
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned.
• High concentration, demanding and fast paced.

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs.
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions.
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shield, gloves, safety shoes, etc.

Travel

• Travel for business needs is required (25 - 35%).

Additional Requirements

• Requires occasional schedule flexibility.
• Requires occasional extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines.

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $166,000 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that maybe used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role. 

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