Principal Mechanical Engineer, Fuel Handling Equipment

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Principal Fuel Handling Equipment Testing Engineer with technical expertise relevant to design, development, testing and manufacturing of automated systems for fuel handling and storage equipment.

The engineer will apply specialized mechanical and electromechanical expertise to advance prototype and equipment testing, develop remote handling capabilities, and resolve complex issues during assembly, startup, and commissioning. Working closely with engineering, operations, maintenance, assembly teams, and suppliers, the engineer will guide assigned technical activities at the assigned site and serve as a technical resource for fuel handling equipment development and testing.

The successful candidate will be a critical member of the KP-FHR fuel handling and storage system.

Provide technical leadership for the deployment, testing, assembly, and development activities of the fuel handling team at the Tennessee site.

Design, build, and test prototype assemblies to demonstrate concept functionality and performance in prototypic conditions.

Design and build testing platforms, for the exploration of design features or operations that require maturation.

Lead the development of remote handling features, tools, and operations for fuel handling components in collaboration with operations and maintenance teams.

Collaborate with operations and the assembly team to create assembly plans, testing requirements, operations, and procedures.

Generate 3D design layouts and 2D drawings for electro‑mechanical equipment, including the desired interface with the nuclear vessel head and other locations in the primary system.

Create or direct the creation of manufacturing drawings for KP‑FHR custom fuel handling equipment, and other moving components, and coordinate fabrication with internal manufacturing teams and suppliers.

Contribute to make/buy analyses, supplier selections, and the development of manufacturing plans.

Generate detailed verification and acceptance test plans for all standard and custom components.

Provide on‑site technical support for the operation and troubleshooting of custom components during startup and commissioning.

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience in mechanical or electromechanical equipment development, testing, deployment, or commissioning; or master’s degree in mechanical engineering and 5+ years of relevant experience; or PhD in mechanical engineering and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Experience performing hands‑on prototyping and testing of novel electromechanical systems.

Experience designing equipment for nuclear, energy, chemical, petrochemical, defense, or aerospace, or other applications with comparable technical requirements.

Experience using Solid Works to develop equipment models and engineering drawings.

Applied knowledge of mechanical design principles, mechatronics, motor control, and sensor integration for custom electromechanical equipment.

Knowledge of design considerations for motorized systems intended for radiation environments.

Knowledg…