Test Process Equipment Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Test Process Equipment Engineer to join our team in Idaho Falls.

Position Description

Oklo is transforming the future of energy, and we are looking for a Test Process Equipment Engineer to support the design, fabrication, commissioning, operation, and modification of test platforms used in advanced nuclear technology development.

In this role, you will be responsible for process and mechanical equipment throughout the full test-platform lifecycle—from defining requirements and developing conceptual designs through equipment procurement, fabrication, installation, commissioning, test execution, and system improvement with 10% travel.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering fundamentals with practical, hands-on experience. You should be comfortable performing engineering calculations, selecting and specifying equipment, reviewing fabrication work, troubleshooting operating systems, and making sound technical decisions in a fast-paced testing environment. Experience working under a nuclear quality assurance program, is preferred.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Equipment Specification and Selection: Size, select, and specify pumps, valves, heat exchangers, tanks, pressure vessels, heaters, filters, regulators, relief devices, piping components, and other process equipment based on test requirements.
• Engineering Analysis: Perform engineering calculations involving fluid flow, pressure drop, heat transfer, equipment capacity, pump performance, valve sizing, piping loads, thermal expansion, system inventory, and operating margins.
• Drawing and Document Development: Develop and review piping and instrumentation diagrams, equipment data sheets, system descriptions, technical specifications, equipment layouts, piping isometrics, fabrication drawings, installation details, and as-built documentation.
• Test Operations: Support test readiness reviews, startup, operation, monitoring, shutdown, and post-test activities and reports.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience designing, specifying, procuring, commissioning, or troubleshooting process and mechanical equipment.
• Experience preparing or reviewing piping and instrumentation diagrams, process-flow diagrams, equipment data sheets, engineering calculations, technical specifications, and vendor drawings.
• Working knowledge of pumps, valves, piping, heat exchangers, tanks, pressure equipment, heaters, or similar process components.
• Ability to perform fluid-flow, pressure-drop, heat-transfer, and equipment-sizing calculations.
• Ability to lift, move, and position equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with sodium or other reactive-metal process systems.
• Experience developing system operating limits, commissioning procedures, maintenance plans, or test procedures.
• Experience with ASME B31.3, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API standards, or other process-equipment codes and standards.
• Familiarity with ASME NQA-1 requirements, particularly requirements related to design control, procurement, inspection, testing, document control, and configuration management.
• Experience qualifying commercial-grade equipment or supporting commercial-grade dedication activities.
• Master’s degree in mechanical, chemical, nuclear, or a related engineering discipline.

Competencies

• Process Engineering Fundamentals: Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, pressure systems, piping, and industrial process equipment.
• Equipment Expertise: Working knowledge of pumps, valves, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, heaters, tanks, filters, regulators, relief devices, vacuum equipment, and gas-handling systems.
• Analytical Ability: Able to interpret complex data, distinguish material behavior from test artifacts, identify trends and anomalies, and develop technically defensible conclusions.
• Communication: Communicates technical requirements clearly to engineers, technicians, fabricators, suppliers, operators, and quality personnel.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a development environment where test requirements, equipment configurations, and priorities may evolve.

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $90,000-$150,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

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About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.