Technical Lead, Sodium Cover Gas Systems

at  TerraPower

LOCATION: 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

• Senior level experience in the design of systems/components/design for their area of ownership
• Technical leadership experience in a nuclear or highly technical product delivery environment
• Demonstrated history of positive guiding principles and core project values personification, with an emphasis on team capabilities
• Strong understanding of configuration management principles, as well as knowledge of design control application on nuclear or similar complex industrial applications.
• Experience and knowledge in the principles of lifecycle design and delivery, management of complex assets, and systems engineering principles
• Candidate must be a self-starter and possess ability to coordinate and lead a design effort with minimal direction from management
• Excellent communication skills across verbal, written, and electronic media communication paths
• Ability to handle projects that include many competing objectives and design constraints, with ability to resolve conflicts between priorities.
  Job Functions

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: 0-10%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government. TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements. To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Government export authorization approval times vary. Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower will not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Safety and Quality Principles - Demonstrate visible, continuous leadership in the areas of safety and quality. Act and advocate for the prompt identification, characterization, and resolution of challenges to personnel, nuclear, and radiological safety. Identify and implement the appropriate project quality standards to the design, delivery, and management of all attributes of SCG.
• Product Ownership - Responsible for development and integration of the SCG with the rest of the plant. Primary technical point of contact for SCG for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Product Design Leader - Lead design activities by determining required activities (design, analysis, evaluation, modeling, etc), specifying technical inputs/outputs to products, and overseeing execution of technical production work. Includes products such as sizing and performance calculations, P&IDs, requirements, physical layout, design trade-offs, failure modes and effects, constraints, and documentation. Identify and lead resolution of necessary design changes, optimization opportunities, and resolution/closure plans.
• Engineering Design and Licensing Basis Ownership - Responsible for establishing and maintaining the project design and licensing basis for the SCG over the project lifecycle. Includes conceptual/history of design, current design/licensing basis of record, managing outstanding and pending changes, identifying outstanding open item management and resolution, translation of licensing requirements into design, etc.
• Subject Matter Expert - Maintain substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories which pertain to the SCG. Evaluate design outcomes against requirements (code, specifications, etc.). Write technical reports detailing design work. May contribute to scientific literature and conferences as appropriate for the topic.
• Internal Technical Oversight - Review engineering work products, particularly those created to support SCG design and development, but also SCG interfaces. Ensure that deliverables supporting SCG are accurate and follow the appropriate engineering procedures and processes. Mentor less experienced engineering staff.
• External Technical Oversight - Provide technical direction related to SCG to subcontractors or suppliers. Act as the engineering reviewer of supplier submittals to ensure accuracy, quality, adherence to requirements, etc. Coordinate with procurement and supplier project engineers to manage supplier scope and ensure deliverables are received on time.
• Technical Review and Verification Management - provide oversight and technical review of SCG review cycles, including performance of technical review of critical products. For products requiring Design Verification activities, specify the desired methods of verification and establishes integrated plans for the design verification of the product’s various products.
• Technical Product Quality and Completeness - Ownership of the engineering product quality; includes both the technical product quality (good engineering practices and compliance to project standards), and Project/Company Quality Assurance attribute compliance based on the classification and quality level (including special treatments) of the product.
• Licensing and Regulatory Interface - Provides expert knowledge and a central point of information for licensing content preparation, review, and lifecycle needs, such as CPA section input management, section review, Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) information gathering and response development, etc.

PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Guiding Principles and Project Values Personification - Always hold self and other project personnel to the high standards and expectations of the TerraPower guiding principles and the Natrium Project Values. Incorporate principles and values into actions and delivery philosophies, provide guidance and mentoring where deviations exist, and periodically review overall project execution in the SCG according to the principles and values.
• Product Delivery and Lifecycle Leader - Lead delivery activities to deliver SCG equipment, commodities, hardware, and supporting lifecycle products to the Natrium facility. This role is specific to the development and management of SCG as a product, during and following the design phase of the project. This includes management of procurements, engagement and management of external suppliers (if necessary), development of lifecycle products (such as spares strategy, test regiments, facility requirements, etc).
• Interface Handoff - Manage the technical and organizational handoffs to and from the SCG, facilitate the efficient communication of inputs/outputs/status to other organizations, and coordinate with other organizations to obtain required interface information. Establish and maintain processes and information sets to define interfaces.
• Planning for Methods, Verifications, and Qualifications - Develop detailed plans, schedules, and tracking methods to manage the methods, verification activities, and qualification(s) of the SCG. Own the delivery of methods, verification plans, and qualifications as part of the holistic product, and in accordance with the schedule and maturity needs of the overall project phases and timelines.

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: 0-10