Senior Mechanical Engineer

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Bechtel is the licensing, engineering, procurement, and construction partner on Terra Power’s Natrium team. Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, Natrium is participating in a DOE initiative to re-establish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy that provides matching funding to industry to design and build an operational advanced reactor. Terra Power, a leading advanced generation technology company founded by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, will be deploying its 345 MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR), called Natrium.

The Natrium plant features an advanced, cost‑competitive reactor design that is safer, simpler, easier, and less costly to construct, less expensive to operate, and able to provide energy that is competitive with fossil fuels. It also features an innovative molten salt energy storage system designed to be complementary to solar and wind power by evening out the peaks and valleys in production when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing.

With the reactor and energy storage output combined, the plant can produce more than 500 MWe of power.

Other Team Natrium partners include GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Energy Northwest, Pacifi Corp, and Duke Energy, along with support from a number of national laboratories and universities. This DOE Program has the potential to be the largest funding program for advanced nuclear power in U.S. history and will shape the future of nuclear energy for decades.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, this position will support the design development of Mechanical systems and equipment for the Natrium Reactor project by preparing calculations (line and pump sizing, design pressure/temperature, vessel/tank sizing, equipment sizing, pressure safety valve sizing, etc.), drawings (P&IDs), engineering studies, engineering specifications, equipment data sheets, and evaluations, in accordance with applicable procedures, codes, standards, and contract requirements.

The successful candidate must have strong organizational and teamwork skills, proven problem‑solving skills, can‑do attitude, and the desire to innovate designs.

This role will be based in Knoxville, TN with periodic business travel, as required.

• Design Mechanical systems for nuclear facilities.
• Originate and check Mechanical design and procurement documents, including, but not limited to, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), supporting calculations, data sheets, engineering specifications, and material requisitions.
• Support interfacing mechanical and fire protection design and procurement activities.
• Evaluate, select, and apply standard mechanical engineering methods, techniques, procedures, and criteria to support engineering design decisions.
• Coordinate mechanical engineering efforts in assigned areas with specialty groups, engineering disciplines, the client, vendor, contractors, construction and other functional groups.
• Originate, check and review conceptual studies, designs, reports, or proposals.
• Provide technical assistance to other Mechanical personnel and interact with interfacing project functions, the…