Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

About this role

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer to join our team.

Position Description

The thermal-hydraulics group at Oklo is responsible for analyzing fluid flow and heat transfer within a reactor and associated systems. This work includes engineering analyses of thermal-fluid dynamics, clear and thorough documentation of the analyses, as well as interfacing with design teams. A CFD Engineer in this group will be responsible for conducting high-fidelity thermal fluid simulations using commercial CFD tools. Level (Engineer III/Senior) will be determined by experience.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Developing and conducting high-fidelity analyses using CFD to analyze thermal-hydraulic behavior through the reactor core, reactor vessel, heat exchangers, power conversion, and balance of plant systems

• Proactively designing, modeling, and analyzing thermal hydraulic systemsDeveloping and utilizing analysis methods that efficiently and effectively build confidence in a design

• Performing engineering analyses, which can include thermal, fluid, safety, manufacturability, and cost

• Collaborating cross-functionally to define design requirements, and providing technical feedback to quick-iterating design teams

• Documenting work using modern tools and techniques, and writing well-written, thoughtful technical reports

• Providing technical feedback to quick-iterating design teams

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in a technical field, such as nuclear, mechanical, or aerospace engineering

• Proficiency with STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, Nek-5000, or equivalent

• Core competencies in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics first principles

• Experience with data processing (e.g., pre-processing, post-processing, scripting)

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with thermal hydraulic engineering principles and multi-physics analysis methods for engineering applications, particularly as they relate to power systems

• Experience with nuclear engineering principles and multi-physics analysis methods for engineering applications, particularly as they relate to advanced reactors

• Experience with analysis of heat exchangers, turbomachinery, and fluid control systems

• Competency with modern software engineering practices and programming languages

• Fluency with Python

• Experience with reactor transient analysis methods

• Experience with systems or reactor safety codes such as GOTHIC, RELAP, TRACE, SAM, or SAS4A/SASSYS-1

• 5 years or more CFD experience in an industrial setting

Competencies:

We are looking for a Senior CFD Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer that is:

• Passionate about clean energy

• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality

• Willing and able to learn quickly

• Skilled with CFD tools such as STAR CCM+, Fluent, or similar

• Experienced with thermal fluids analysis

• Eager to work on a dynamic team, receive constructive feedback, and grow with us

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative environment

• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving, while not leaning only on what has been done before

• Excellent communicator of technical content both verbally and in writing

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…