Hardware Program Manager
Bluecore Energy
Hardware Program Manager
Bluecore Energy
Small modular reactors on floating barges
Salary Range: 175000 to 195000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)
Welcome to BlueCore Energy! We are on a relentless mission to democratize access to clean energy. By designing and building advanced floating Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) on barges right here in Long Beach, CA, we are bringing scalable, clean, and reliable power to the world. Joining our team means getting in on the ground floor of a revolution in marine small modular reactors (SMRs). If you are passionate, driven, and ready to tackle some of the most exciting challenges of our time, we want you on our team!
Our Values
Humility — We hold strong opinions loosely, say "I don't know," ask for help early, and let the best idea win regardless of who it came from.
Inclusivity — The best engineering comes from many perspectives. We build a team where everyone is heard, and we mean it.
Pragmatism — We solve the real problem in front of us, reuse what already works, and value a tested answer over an elegant one.
As the Hardware Program Manager - Steam Generator, you will own the delivery of one of the most critical components in our floating PWR: the steam generator. Sitting on our Supply Chain team, you will be the bridge between our mechanical and thermal-hydraulic engineers and the external vendors who design and fabricate this equipment. You will help translate engineering requirements into clear vendor specifications, critically evaluate the design feedback suppliers bring back to us, and confirm that every recommendation actually moves our program forward on performance, cost, and schedule. This is a hands-on role for someone equally comfortable reading a vendor drawing package, challenging a supplier's assumptions, and building the plan that gets the hardware to our barge.
Serve as the single point of accountability for the steam generator program, owning scope, schedule, budget, and risk from requirements definition through fabrication, testing, and delivery to Long Beach.
Partner with our mechanical and thermal-hydraulics engineers to capture steam generator requirements (thermal performance, pressure boundary, materials, and marine loading) and translate them into clear technical specifications and RFQ packages.
Identify, evaluate, and qualify steam generator suppliers, including fabricators of tubing, forgings, and pressure vessels, and support contract negotiations alongside Supply Chain leadership.
Lead technical exchanges and design reviews with vendors, critically evaluating their design feedback, deviation requests, and proposed alternatives to confirm they meet our requirements and steer the program in the right direction.
Manage vendor document submittals such as drawings, calculations, weld procedures, and inspection and test plans, and drive timely internal review and disposition with Engineering and Quality.
Track supplier progress through fabrication by expediting critical milestones, conducting shop visits, and driving recovery plans when schedule or quality issues arise.
Work with the Quality team to ensure suppliers meet applicable codes and quality standards (ASME Section III, NQA-1) and to resolve nonconformances quickly.
Maintain a living risk register and report program status, cost, and schedule to leadership clearly and honestly.
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
5+ years of experience in program management, supplier management, or technical procurement for major engineered equipment such as heat exchangers, pressure vessels, boilers, or steam generators.
Working technical understanding of heat exchanger design and fabrication, enough to hold your own in a design review and push back on a vendor's assumptions.
Hands-on experience managing vendor document reviews, inspection and test plans, and fabrication oversight for complex hardware.
Familiarity with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and quality programs in a regulated industry.
Demonstrated ability to build and manage integrated schedules, budgets, and risk registers.
Clear, low-ego communicator who can translate between engineers, vendors, and leadership.
Direct experience with nuclear steam generators, including ASME Section III and NQA-1 supplier requirements.
Background in naval nuclear, marine, or shipboard systems.
Experience on first-of-a-kind hardware programs or building a supplier base from scratch at a startup.
PMP certification or equivalent formal project management training.
On-Site Requirement: Our team works together at our Long Beach facility, right next to our barge.
Highly Cross-Functional: Startups move fast! You must possess the ability to seamlessly collaborate across multiple teams to rapidly solve problems and keep production moving.
Physical & Machinery Requirements: Because we are a hands-on startup, this role may require the ability to perform physical labor, navigate active construction/manufacturing zones, and/or operate heavy machinery and specialized manufacturing equipment as needed.
Small modular reactors on floating barges
Bluecore Energy builds small modular reactors on floating barges to deliver clean power to coastal ports, nearby infrastructure, AI data centers, and communities without years of fixed-site construction. Its barges carry modular nuclear reactors that can be moved to where power is needed, with design work underway for NRC and Coast Guard certification and fuel procurement planned through national-lab partnerships. The company differentiates itself by deploying floating reactors that can be towed to different sites and by pursuing early, hands-on regulatory engagement and collaborations with government agencies, ports, and industry partners. Its goal is to provide flexible, portable nuclear power at scale by certifying floating plants and expanding deployment through partnerships and funded product development.
Explore more opportunities at Bluecore Energy