Nuclear Engineer, Radiation Detection

Posted:
12/19/2024, 6:57:41 AM

Location(s):
Alameda, California, United States ⋅ California, United States

Experience Level(s):
Junior ⋅ Mid Level ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
Mechanical Engineering

Workplace Type:
On-site

Company Overview

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.

Job summary

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Nuclear Engineer to join our Nuclear Design and Methods team and assist in choosing, designing and testing radiation detection instrumentation for Kairos’ Hermes test reactor and FHRs. We are seeking a candidate with a solid technical background in radiation transport, detection, instrumentation, and dosimetry. The ideal candidate will have experience in modeling, setting up, and testing radiation detectors through working in nuclear facilities (preferably test and research reactors), collecting and analyzing radioactive samples following appropriate ANS/ANSI/HPS standards, and performing worker dose calculations.

Responsibilities

  • Support the development and deployment of radiation detection instrumentation for various projects through iterative design loops (design, build, and test)
  • Develop and maintain the area, effluent, and environmental monitoring programs, including scope and specification of instrumentation, and working closely with the relevant stakeholders across the company (Licensing, Ops, etc.) to incorporate design needs into the monitoring programs
  • Work with relevant stakeholders in support of Hemes’ Final Safety Analysis application
  • Perform calculations of worker dose across the plant to ensure maintaining ALARA
  • Engage with external vendors and testing labs as necessary
  • Other duties as assigned 

Qualifications

  • MS or PhD in Nuclear Engineering with a focus on radiation detection or health physics
  • Experience after graduation on research reactor facilities or similar research environment is preferred 
  • Experience with designing and setting up detector characterization tests
  • Experience with semiconductor detectors (HPGe and CZT)
  • Experience with digital signal processing techniques and instrumentation
  • Experience with gamma spectroscopy
  • Experience with detector response modeling software such as GADRAS-DRF
  • Experience with variance reduction techniques (weight windows, source biasing, etc.) and software (Attila4MC and/or ADVANTG)
  • Familiarity with CAD design software (SolidWorks and/or SpaceClaim)
  • Experience with applying ML/AI in radiation detection applications

Physical Conditions

  • Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
  • Ability to carry up to 50 pounds

Travel 

  • Up to 30% of domestic travel may be required

Safety and PPE

  • Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
  • Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
  • Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes
  • Occasionally work with lead sheets/bricks

Additional Requirements

  • Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
  • Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $101,300 to $119,100 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

#LI-Onsite

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

  • Competitive compensation packages
  • Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
  • Paid Vacation
  • 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810