Computational Fluid Dynamics Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer to join our team.

Position Description

Thermal-Hydraulics Engineers at Oklo are 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 Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer will be responsible for conducting high-fidelity thermal fluid simulations using commercial CFD tools.

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

Competencies:

We are looking for a 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-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life