Senior Manager, Plant Thermal-Hydraulics Analysis

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

Senior Manager, Plant Thermal-Hydraulics Analysis

The Senior Manager, Plant Thermal-Hydraulics Analysis oversees a team of system transient analysts, safety analysts, and methods engineers who model and evaluate the plant’s thermal-hydraulic behavior under normal operation and accident conditions. As a manager of managers, this role works through three managers, covering system transient analysis for design support, safety analysis, and thermal-hydraulic methods. The Senior Manager provides technical leadership, ensures quality, and drives continuous improvement across the group. The role is responsible for the technical adequacy of the group’s scope and for delivering it within budget and schedule in collaboration with the assigned Project Manager.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Execution

• Manage the execution of engineering work products in accordance with applicable standards, best practices, Quality Assurance, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team in system-level transient analysis, safety analysis, and thermal-hydraulic methods development.
• Oversee modeling and analysis of normal operation, anticipated operational occurrences, design basis events, and beyond-design-basis events.
• Coordinate the creation, verification, and validation of plant thermal-hydraulic models used for licensing, design, and deterministic safety analysis.
• Maintain and advance analytical tools, including modeling methods, workflows, and computational capabilities.
• Direct thermal-hydraulic test programs where applicable, ensuring test data supports design decisions and model validation.
• Provide technical direction to the engineering team, partners, and suppliers to deliver high-quality work on schedule and within budget.
• Use sound judgment to resolve complex technical problems, and review and approve work products for technical adequacy as needed.

Planning, Resources, and Delivery

• Oversee the planning and execution of activities supporting design and safety.
• Work with managers, technical staff, Project Manager(s), and the PMO to develop plans that support project delivery goals and cost constraints.
• Manage team resources, schedules, priorities, and performance expectations, and ensure qualified engineers perform the work.
• Provide technical oversight of contractor, supplier, and partner work where applicable.

Collaboration, Risk, and Communication

• Collaborate with design engineering, licensing, and other functions to provide technical insight and support cross-functional initiatives.
• Align stakeholders and drive timely resolution of issues.
• Provide input to technical risk harvesting exercises and ensure risks are properly defined and managed.
• Keep managers, technical staff, and Natrium leadership informed of major emerging technical issues.
• Ensure interfaces with regulators, stakeholders, and customers are technically sound, accurate, and complete, including support for licensing submittals, regulatory audits, and requests for additional information.

People Leadership

• Develop a highly effective group of managers through coaching and mentorship, ensuring clear expectations are communicated and met.
• Identify staffing needs and engage HR in recruitment and selection.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear, Mechanical, or a related engineering field; advanced degree preferred.
• Typically 12+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years leading technical teams.
• Strong expertise in thermal-hydraulic modeling, nuclear plant systems behavior, and safety analysis methodologies, including system analysis codes and CFD.
• Experience developing, verifying, and validating thermal-hydraulic models and methods.
• Experience managing engineering work under a quality assurance program in a regulated environment, with knowledge of applicable codes, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to deliver technical scope within budget and schedule on large, multidisciplinary projects.
• Demonstrated ability to align stakeholders, resolve issues, and guide complex technical teams.
• Strong communication, leadership, and decision-making skills.

Preferred

• Experience with thermal-hydraulic design inputs (e.g., ASME BPVC, plant heat balance, setpoints) as well as safety analysis and methods.
• Experience with liquid-metal or advanced reactor technology, including sodium thermal hydraulics.
• Experience with nuclear licensing and regulatory interactions (e.g., NRC), including safety analysis for licensing submittals.
• Experience sponsoring thermal-hydraulic tests.
• Experience overseeing contractors, suppliers, and external partners.

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Job Functions:

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation.  Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations.  An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government.  TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.  To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.  Government export authorization approval times vary.  Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Salary Range: $177,399.00 - $236,532.00

Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information:  https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/