TITLE: Senior Safety Methods Engineer
LOCATION: Remote or Bellevue, WA, USA
TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.
TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, as a federal contractor, TerraPower has instituted an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) in an effort to proactively recruit, hire, and promote women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Extensive experience in scaling analysis using scaling methods such as H2TS
• Extensive experience in nuclear safety software verification and validation activities and system transient analysis computer code benchmark.
• Familiarity with EMDAP and Regulatory Guide 1.203 is required.
• Knowledgeable of nuclear systems thermal-hydraulic fundamentals as well as reactor dynamics and transient phenomena.
• Significant experience with safety analysis software such as RELAP5-3D, TRACE, MELCOR, SAS4A/SASSYS-1, SAM or other nuclear system analysis software.
• Familiarity with nuclear design, regulatory requirements, and risk-informed performance-based technology guidance for Non-Light Water Reactors is required.
• Experience with SFR safety methods is highly desirable. Experience with other reactor designs, such as Light Water Reactors (LWRs), can be considered when differentiating candidates.
• Knowledge and experience with scaling methodology and safety analysis are preferred.
• Demonstrated strong quantitative, analytical, modeling and reporting skills.
• Understanding of NQA-1 requirements associated with analysis and software management as well as experience working under a quality assurance program.
• Experience in working in multi-disciplinary engineering teams to address engineering challenges.
• Strong software engineering skills in any language, such as Fortran, C++, or Python, is a plus.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, or other relevant engineering degree, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the nuclear field.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.
• Actual position starting level and title will be determined based on assessment of qualifications.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform scaling analysis to SETs and IETs
• Perform work as a safety methods engineer to develop assessment bases (benchmark, identify applicable tests, etc.), identify uncertainties in experimental data, develop benchmark models, and assess the EM following the guidance in NRC’s RG1.203.
• Perform and coordinate safety computer code verification and validation test programs, including SETs and IETs, inside and outside TerraPower.
• Prepare the code benchmark documents and code applicability determination,
• Contribute to the development of analytical and computational models and implement them into the system transient analysis computer codes in collaboration with safety analysis engineers.
• Work with an interdisciplinary team of engineers to establish core and reactor SSC functional, performance, safety, and quality requirements as well as support the overall design.
• Perform engineering reviews of analyses and other engineering design media.

The Senior Safety Methods Engineer is part of a growing team supporting the design and licensing of the Natrium Demonstration reactor and is primarily responsible for the scaling analysis, verification and validation of software, safety methods and evaluation model (EM) development used to perform:

• Scaling analysis to Separate Effect Test (SET) and Integral Effect Test (IET)
• Support the test facility design
• Nuclear safety analysis computer code assessment, verification and validation per RG1.203
• Support the methods and EM development of Licensing Basis Events (LBEs) and/or Design Basis Accident (DBA) Without Radiological Releas

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation. Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations. An applicant’s ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hrs./day
• Travel required: 0-5