Senior Mechanical Engineer - Nuclear

Senior Mechanical Engineer – Natrium

Bechtel Corporation is a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a legacy of delivering complex infrastructure projects. Since 1898, Bechtel has helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries, creating jobs, growing economies, and improving the resiliency of the world’s infrastructure.

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 deploy 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 and operate, and can provide energy that is competitive with fossil fuels. An innovative molten‑salt energy storage system will complement solar and wind power by evening out production peaks. With reactor and storage output combined, the plant can produce more than 500 MWe of power.
Other partners include GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Energy Northwest, Pacifi Corp, Duke Energy, and several 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, you 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, specifications, equipment data sheets, and evaluations, in accordance with applicable procedures, codes, standards, and contract requirements. You should have strong organizational and teamwork skills, proven problem‑solving skills, a can‑do attitude, and a desire to innovate designs.

The 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 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 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 customer, and regulatory agency personnel in the resolution of complex regulatory issues and industry codes and standards.
• Assist project and construction management in identifying and complying with project mechanical requirements and addressing issues as they arise during project execution.
• Prepare mechanical engineering reports for clients, as required.
• Mentor and assist junior mechanical team members.
• Apply knowledge of industry, regulatory guides, codes, and standards.
• Complete quality engineering task assignments within budget and on schedule.
• Support and implement the Bechtel Quality Culture in day‑to‑day work activities.

• Level One:
  Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical (or related) Engineering with a minimum of five (5) years of progressive related professional work experience.
• Level Two:
  Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical (or related) Engineering with a…