[Hiring] Fuels Engineer 2 @NuScale Power, LLC

Role Description

The Fuels Engineer 2 reports to the Manager, Nuclear Design and works collaboratively with Thermal Hydraulics, Code Development, and Nuclear Methods teams within the broader Nuclear Fuels department, as well as with other Engineering disciplines for SMR deployment. This position is an engineer with experience in fuel thermal-mechanical analyses using standard industry codes and methods, as well as familiarity with fuel mechanical design. This role will support design and analysis of fuel and other core components, application of licensed methods, and interfaces with core design, neutronics, and other technical areas that form the design and licensing bases. Although the primary focus is execution of licensed TM methods, the role also supports neutronics evaluations and contributes to incremental method-development tasks under the guidance of senior staff. Practical knowledge of or experience with PWR reactor physics analyses is required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and update fuel TM models consistent with the SMR product design and licensing basis.
• Maintain analysis models and document results in engineering reports, calculations, studies, and other deliverable types.
• Perform fuel TM evaluations in accordance with licensed methods, supporting design, safety evaluations, and reload assessments.
• Evaluate cladding strain, pellet-cladding mechanical interaction, gap conductance, fuel rod dimensional changes, stress/strain behavior, and end-of-life margins.
• Prepare cycle-specific TM outputs supporting reload core design and safety analysis.
• Maintain consistency between TM evaluations, thermal-hydraulic boundary conditions, neutronic inputs, and the licensing basis described in FSAR chapters and approved topical reports.
• Interpret neutronics evaluations for core performance and fuel design impacts.
• Assess power distributions, reactivity parameters, peaking factors, and other physics inputs to fuel performance evaluations.
• Perform cross-functional reviews for fuel-related content or impacts.
• Support Nuclear Fuels disciplines and other Engineering functional areas with development of interface inputs in area of technical responsibility.
• Perform core design and neutronics analysis for cycle design and reloads, including lattice physics generation, core loading optimization, and safety-related physics inputs to engineering design and analysis interfaces and licensing.
• Support development of advanced fuel TM methods under guidance from senior engineering staff.
• Prepare and verify engineering reports, calculations, studies, system descriptions, requirement specifications, and other design documents with particular emphasis on fuel performance and neutronics.
• Grow technical depth in fuel performance, neutronics and thermal-hydraulic integration, and associated codes and methods.
• Develop resolutions to challenging problems that require the use of creativity and innovation.
• Perform other duties as assigned. Flexibly support changing organizational priorities, including urgent analysis needs, cross-functional reviews, technical troubleshooting, or special studies.

Core Competencies

• Problem solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and reviews information appropriately.
• Oral/written communication: Listens carefully and speaks clearly and professionally in all situations.
• Planning/organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities, organizes personal and project timelines and deadlines.
• Adaptability: Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands.
• Dependability: Consistently on time and at work, responds to management expectations.
• Team Building: Capable of developing strong interpersonal networks and trust within the organization.
• Safety Culture: Adheres to the NuScale Safety culture and is expected to model safe behavior.
• Quality Assurance: Commits to the understanding and implementation of quality assurance regulations.

Qualifications

• A minimum of B.S. degree in Nuclear, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering (or related discipline) from a four-year accredited college or university is required.
• Advanced degree in Nuclear, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering is desirable.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of full-time, directly relevant engineering experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing engineering design processes for fuel thermal-mechanical analysis is required.
• Experience in core design and neutronics preferred.
• Eligible to work under Department of Energy 10 CFR Part 810.

Physical Demands

• Ability to understand and communicate clearly using a phone, personal interaction, and computers.
• Ability to learn new job functions and comprehend and understand new concepts quickly.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and stand; walk; bend, use hands to operate office equipment; and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to travel nationally and locally using common forms of transportation.

Pay and Benefits

• The target pay range for this position is $87,107 - $105,129 annually.
• The full pay range is $78,096 - $122,149 annually.