Mechanical Design Engineer, Chemistry Control System

Job Summary

Kairos Power is looking for a driven Mechanical Engineer eager to contribute to the design, rapid prototyping, and performance testing of components for high-temperature fluid systems of a GEN IV nuclear power plant. In this role, you'll lead the development of the design and testing of molten salt-facing mechanical components, including pumps, sensors, sampling systems and high temperature piping for the cutting-edge FHR molten salt chemistry control system.

Responsibilities

• Design and prototyping of first-of-a-kind components of the KP-FHR chemistry control system such as molten salt loops, sampling systems, pumps, and sensors.
• Create high-fidelity 3D equipment models that meet the KP-FHR requirements and specifications. Create or guide the creation of manufacturing drawings. Coordinate the fabrication with internal manufacturing and external vendors.
• Take full ownership of design scope for high-temperature components, including static and thermal stress analysis, development of process and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID), sizing of heaters and insulation, selection of instrumentation and definition of the control strategy.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, commissioning, and plant operations teams at other KP sites to support assembly, pre-commissioning, troubleshooting and gathering operational insights from the full-scale chemistry control equipment in the field.
• Develop comprehensive documentation of design requirements and solutions to ensure high-quality engineering outcomes and support future development efforts.
• Build and test prototypes to demonstrate functionalities designs, conduct engineering calculations, and analyze performance to continuously refine and improve products.
• Collaborate with internal Kairos Power R&D and testing teams, to develop testing matrix to further validate functionalities at laboratory and industrial scale.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master of Science in Mechanical, Chemical, Nuclear, Aerospace Engineering with 3+ years of industry experience.
• Excellent communication and skills (verbal and written) including emails, preparing slide presentations, and presenting technical concepts to multi-disciplinary teams.
• SolidWorks (or comparable CAD software) experience required, ANSYS or other FEA experience is desired.
• Experience with drafting, design for manufacturing, and GD&T.
• Experience designing mechanical systems for high-temperature molten salt or other high-temperature fluid systems design experience preferred.
• Experience designing and deploying in quality-controlled environments with high attention to detail such as Nuclear, Energy, Chemical, Petrochemical, Defense, or Aerospace applications.
• Experience in in prototyping, high-fidelity mechanisms and concepts to enable design down-selection and data collection.
• High-temperature systems or processes test engineering is desired (heater design, control, and implementation).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining flexibility.

Environmental Conditions

• General office environment
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions

Travel

• Some travel (up to 20%) may be required to other Kairos Power locations.

Additional Requirements

• Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $106,300 to $125,100 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

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