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Ocean Atomics

Standardized nuclear electric plants for ships

Nuclear Safety Engineer

Full-Time
$110k - $240k/yr
Mid
Bachelor's
Bethesda, MD, USA
HybridHybrid work arrangement in Bethesda.

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in nuclear or mechanical engineering.
  • Demonstrated experience developing safety cases and probabilistic risk assessments for nuclear systems.
  • Proficiency with probabilistic risk assessment methods and tools, including fault-tree analysis, event-tree analysis, reliability data, and SAPHIRE or an equivalent tool.
  • Working knowledge of nuclear safety standards and regulatory frameworks, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, International Maritime Organization, naval, or international equivalents.
  • Ability to work in compliance with applicable U.S. export control requirements, including potential Department of Energy authorization for access to controlled nuclear technology.
Responsibilities
  • Develop and maintain the safety case and supporting probabilistic risk assessment models for the reactor and associated ship systems.
  • Use the probabilistic risk assessment and underlying data to inform and optimize the overall system engineering design throughout the design phases.
  • Identify initiating events and failure modes, perform hazard and accident analyses, and quantify risk to verify compliance with safety acceptance criteria.
  • Support design reviews and trade studies by translating safety findings into requirements and design changes for secondary and balance-of-plant systems.
  • Maintain safety documentation and traceability through configuration changes, operational feedback, and as-built modifications.
  • Interface with regulators, classification societies, and internal review boards, and prepare licensing and certification deliverables.
Desired Qualifications
  • An advanced degree.

About the company

Ocean Atomics designs, licenses, and assembles standardized nuclear electric power plants for the maritime industry. These plants are built to proprietary nuclear-ready vessel standards and installed on ships, with end-to-end sustainment managed through a planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. The design repeats a single, standardized plant across vessel types and uses water-cooled reactor technology, with licensed operators trained or created by Ocean Atomics to run them at sea. Its goal is to decarbonize shipping by delivering a practical, scalable maritime nuclear propulsion system and a supporting lifecycle ecosystem.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Bethesda, Maryland

Founded

2025

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 2026 hiring across nuclear, naval architecture, and infrastructure shows active buildout.
  • Ocean Atomics.com updated August 14, 2026, confirms continued product and sustainment development.
  • Maritime decarbonization pressure and IMO 2050 demand favor zero-emission propulsion providers.

What critics are saying

  • NRC licensing remains unresolved; dual-track marine approval slows Ocean Atomics through 2026.
  • Twenty-four August 2026 open roles signal heavy execution load before any vessel deployment.
  • Shipboard nuclear accidents or denial of port access would destroy the business model.

What makes Ocean Atomics unique

  • Ocean Atomics targets civilian shipboard reactors, led by ex-Coast Guard officer William R. Cahill.
  • Its standardized nuclear electric plant and nuclear-ready vessel standards reduce custom integration complexity.
  • Chief nuclear officer Nick Touran gives credible reactor expertise amid maritime engineering hires.

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