Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

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