Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer - Uranium Process Systems

Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Mechanical Equipment Design Engineer – Uranium Process Systems opportunity.

Design and specify process equipment, including reactors, vessels, furnaces, kilns, powder-handling systems, gas and vacuum systems, condensers, scrubbers, and modular process skids. Translate temperature, pressure, flow, reaction, solids-handling, and containment requirements into fabricable, operable equipment designs. Participate in equipment fabrication reviews, assembly, installation, alignment, leak testing, commissioning, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Address corrosion, erosion, thermal expansion, sealing, insulation, fatigue, contamination control, and other equipment reliability challenges.

Design for maintainability, cleanout, inspection, decontamination, component replacement, and remote handling where appropriate. Prepare procurement specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, review drawings, and support factory and site acceptance testing. Evaluate scale-up effects on heat transfer, mixing, solids transport, gas distribution, residence time, and process performance. Maintain controlled engineering documentation and assess design changes for process, safety, and product-quality impacts.

Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline. Experience designing process equipment for chemical, nuclear, ceramic, high-temperature, vacuum, powder-processing, or specialty manufacturing systems. Hands‑on experience building, modifying, commissioning, maintaining, or troubleshooting laboratory, pilot, or demonstration‑facility equipment. Strong knowledge of pressure and temperature systems, thermal equipment, gas systems, rotating or solids‑handling equipment, mechanical interfaces, fabrication methods, and maintainability.

Experience developing equipment specifications and working with fabricators, machine shops, integrators, or equipment vendors. Ability to prepare and maintain engineering calculations, drawings, equipment lists, interface requirements, and commissioning records.

Experience with nuclear fuel‑cycle or radiological process equipment. Familiarity with fluorine or UF6 service, corrosion‑resistant materials, glove boxes, confinement systems, or vacuum equipment. Experience with high‑temperature furnaces, rotary equipment, powder feeders, dryers, kilns, or gas‑solid reaction systems. Experience developing modular pilot plants or skid‑mounted process equipment.

Job Type: Full‑time Salary Range: $110-$255K

Location:

Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite). Due to government contract requirements, this position is restricted to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residential or GC Holder only.

Protingent is an Award‑Winning provider of top‑tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.