Facilities Design Engineer - Fuel Fabrication

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Facilities Design Engineer to join our Fuel Fabrication Team.

Position Description

As a Facilities Design Engineer on Oklo’s fuel fabrication team, you’ll be responsible for providing technical oversight, review, and direction for contract engineering firms developing HVAC and fire protection designs for nuclear fuel-cycle facilities. This role acts as an owner’s engineer, ensuring that contractor-produced designs meet nuclear safety requirements, support radiological confinement, and comply with all applicable codes, standards, and QA programs. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, technically capable, and well-versed in the rigor required in nuclear environments.

This is a highly cross-functional role where technical excellence and a collaborative mindset are equally valued.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Oversee and review HVAC and fire protection designs developed by external engineering firms for fuel-cycle facilities (hot cells, gloveboxes, UF₆ processes, radiological labs)
• Verify contractor deliverables—including drawings, calculations, specifications, and analyses—for technical accuracy, code compliance, and alignment with the facility safety basis.
• Ensure contractor adherence to NQA-1, configuration control, design verification, and nuclear QA documentation requirements.
• Evaluate design approaches for pressure cascades, confinement ventilation, HEPA filtration, exhaust/airflow management, and hazard-classified fire protection systems.
• Provide clear technical direction, comments, and resolution guidance to contractors and ensure timely incorporation of design changes.
• Coordinate between internal stakeholders (safety basis, operations, QA, procurement, I&C, electrical) and contract engineering firms to maintain design integration.
• Participate in design reviews, readiness assessments, and constructability evaluations as the facility’s technical authority.
• Communicate with contractors, project managers, and internal stakeholders effectively and professionally.
• Document decisions, design basis changes, and comment resolutions accurately for audit-ready traceability.
• Maintain oversight of multiple contractor design packages, comment cycles, and submittals.
• Track deadlines, milestones, design maturity, and revision control.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to external firms while maintaining schedule, quality, and scope alignment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of HVAC and/or fire protection design experience in fuel-cycle, nuclear, or highly regulated industrial facilities is highly preferred
• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Nuclear Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience reviewing and overseeing work performed by external engineering or A/E design firms.
• Strong understanding of radiological confinement ventilation, HEPA filtration, glovebox/hot cell exhaust, and hazard-classified fire protection systems.
• Knowledge of NFPA, ASHRAE, IMC/IFC, DOE/NRC regulations, and NQA-1 quality requirements.
• Proven ability to function in a collaborative team environment on projects through the full development cycle—from concept and design to testing and production
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document and present engineering work
• Comfortable working with external manufacturers and engineering consultants

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with advanced reactor technologies (e.g., microreactors, fast reactors, SMRs).
• Familiarity with regulatory processes (NRC, DOE, ASME code compliance).
• Familiarity with nuclear QA requirements (NQA-1 or equivalent)
• Exposure to vendor qualification, commercial-grade dedication, or nuclear-grade procurement.
• Prior owner’s-engineer or design oversight role in nuclear or process facilities.
• Experience with DOE O 420.1C, safety basis development, fire hazard analyses, and nuclear design interfaces.
• Prior involvement in safety analyses, design reviews, or licensing workflows.
• Basic knowledge of nuclear fission and radiation effects on materials and components

Competencies

We are looking for a Facilities Design Engineer that:

• Demonstrates strong commitment to nuclear safety, radiological protection, and conservative decision-making.
• Has a deep knowledge of confinement ventilation, HEPA filtration, pressure cascading, glovebox and hot-cell exhaust, and off-gas systems.
• Has a strong understanding of hazard-classified fire protection systems, clean-agent suppression, detection/alarm systems, and NFPA requirements.
• Is able to evaluate engineering calculations, design criteria, and system-level integration for accuracy and intent.
• Is skilled at interpreting, reviewing, and guiding contractor design work.
• Ensures timely closure of comments, design issues, and technical discrepancies.
• Is capable of diplomatically enforcing requirements while maintaining productive vendor relationships.
• Ensures contractor deliverables comply with:
  • NFPA (13, 20, 30, 72, 801, 805, 2001)
  • ASHRAE standards
  • IMC / IFC
  • NRC or DOE requirements (e.g., DOE O 420.1C)
• Has the ability to identify gaps, deviations, or risks in contractor adherence to requirements.
• Is skilled at dissecting drawings, calculations, and specifications to spot inconsistencies or technical deficiencies.
• Ensures HVAC and fire protection designs integrate with electrical, I&C, structural, safety analysis, and facility operations.
• Produces clear, concise, and directive design review comments and technical memos.
• Identifies risks and technical issues related to safety basis impacts, code interpretation, equipment selection, operability, maintainability, and construction constraints early and can propose mitigation strategies to maintain safety, schedule and quality.
• Is an experienced team player who can work effectively across both internal resources and external suppliers
• Is passionate about clean energy
• Is an optimist at heart
• Is passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Is willing and able to learn quickly
• Is willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Can be comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
• Is excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before
• Will be willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• Is an excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
• Is able to communicate technical content and results verbally

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 balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $115,000-$170,000

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

We are looking to fill this position immediately!

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.