Reactor Core Mechanical Engineer

The ocean is the largest undeveloped frontier on earth, and the next chapter of abundant energy will be written at sea. We're building the infrastructure to power it.

About Ocean Atomics (OA)

Ocean Atomics is an American company designing, licensing, and assembling a standardized nuclear electric power plant and the surrounding support systems for maritime applications. We will install these plants on any vessel built to our nuclear-ready standards, and will provide end-to-end sustainment in our planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. We will help develop the licensed operators to unlock this new capability for your energy intensive application at sea. To move fast and to lead the creation of this new market, we are leveraging the compact, proven systems enabled by water-cooled reactors.

Our mission

Scale nuclear energy. Power generations.

Our vision

A maritime commons thriving with abundant, economical, modern, and safe nuclear-powered activity, built, serviced, and staffed by re-industrialized American shipyards and people.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Reactor Core Mechanical Engineer to help us scale nuclear energy at sea. You will design and analyze the mechanical components and internals of the reactor core, with a focus on discerning and optimizing operation in dynamic marine environments. Flow-induced vibration, ship motions, and shock loading reshape structural integrity implications across the core's service life. Your analysis is what separates a reactor designed for a fixed terrestrial foundation from one engineered to operate reliably in maritime conditions.

This is a role we're hiring at multiple levels. The work is shared across levels; scope and accountability scales with experience.

The ideal candidate is genuinely curious about how to improve upon 60+ years of nuclear reactors at sea and is uniquely competent in tackling the core mechanical engineering challenges required to design, license, and produce a reactor system that allows commercial reactors to unlock the potential of the ocean.

What You'll Do

• Design and analyze core mechanical components and internals for structural integrity, fatigue, and wear across operating, transient, and accident conditions including those unique to the maritime domain.

• Evaluate flow-induced vibration of fuel assemblies, control elements, and internals, and develop design features to mitigate wear and dynamic effects in marine operational load profiles.

• Assess the effects of ship motions and dynamic/shock loading on core mechanical performance and structural margins.

• Coordinate with thermal-hydraulics, fuels, and structural teams to integrate mechanical design with flow, thermal, and neutronic requirements.

• Document mechanical analyses, design basis, and qualification results, and support design reviews, testing campaigns, and regulatory documentation.

At more senior levels you will additionally:

• Lead system-level decisions on core mechanical architecture and material selection.

• Mentor newer engineers and review their analyses.

• Interface directly with our regulatory team on NRC-facing documentation packages.

• Drive cross-team trade studies across thermal-hydraulics, fuels, and structural domains.

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or nuclear engineering required

• Experience in mechanical design and structural analysis of reactor core components or internals.

• Proficiency with finite element analysis and structural/vibration tools (e.g., ANSYS, ABAQUS, or equivalent).

• Working knowledge of flow-induced vibration, fatigue, and dynamic/shock loading analysis.

• Strong grounding in solid mechanics, materials behavior, and structural dynamics

Preferred

• Background in naval architecture, marine engineering, or offshore energy.1

• Experience with PWRs, first-of-a-kind reactor designs, or small modular reactor (SMR) programs.

• Advanced degree in mechanical or nuclear engineering.

Don't meet every bullet? We'd still like to hear from you. If you're excited by the mission and most of this resonates, apply.

Export control notice

This role involves access to information subject to U.S. export control laws, including unclassified nuclear technology governed by the U.S. Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. Depending on a candidate's status, access may require DOE authorization, which Ocean Atomics may apply for. Any offer is contingent on your ability to work in compliance with these requirements. We evaluate all applicants regardless of citizenship or national origin, except where required by law.

Why this matters

Every industry on Earth needs scalable, clean energy, and the ocean is the ideal place to unlock it. Joining Ocean Atomics means building real, lasting infrastructure, the kind that powers generations. The world needs abundant energy. Let's make it happen.

Ocean Atomics LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

We are committed to a workplace free of discrimination and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations; if you need an accommodation during the application process, contact [email protected].