Senior Manufacturing Engineer

About Aalo Atomics

Aalo Atomics is pioneering a new era in clean energy with factory-fabricated microreactors designed to deliver affordable, scalable, and reliable nuclear power. Our mission is to make nuclear energy globally accessible, starting with the Aalo-1, a 10 MWe reactor leveraging cutting-edge safety, modularity, and efficiency. Based in Austin, TX, we’re rapidly growing as we work to deploy the world’s first fleet of advanced microreactors. Join us and help revolutionize energy for a sustainable future.

About the role: 

As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Aalo Atomics, you will lead the development and optimization of the advanced manufacturing processes and production lines that produce our modular nuclear reactors. You will serve as a technical authority on manufacturing processes, working hands-on in the factory alongside technicians, machinists, welders and other engineers to bring cutting-edge nuclear systems to life. This role blends technical leadership, process development, creative problem-solving, and direct build support to scale from first-of-a-kind builds to high-rate, reliable, and efficient manufacturing.  

Responsibilities: 

• Serve as the subject matter expert for manufacturing processes, providing technical guidance on process selection, producibility, and risk mitigation 

• Collaborate with Design Engineering to incorporate Design for Manufacturability / Design for Assembly principles.  

• Question requirements. Drive simplification. 

• Lead the design, manufacture and qualification of tooling, fixtures, and production equipment 

• Mentor and develop junior manufacturing and mechanical engineers 

• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for non-conformances 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives — track and analyze KPIs, reduce cycle time, improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and increase first-pass yield 

• Create and govern detailed work instructions, manufacturing procedures, and build documentation 

• Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new reactor designs or design changes (process FMEAs, first-article inspections, production prove-out) 

• Support factory layout, capacity planning, and capital equipment decisions 

• Champion nuclear quality and safety culture and ensure processes comply with the Aalo Quality Manual. 

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline 

• 5+ years of hands-on manufacturing or process engineering experience 

• Deep expertise in welding, machining, forming, or assembly of complex metallic structures 

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and mentor junior engineers 

• Strong mechanical aptitude, problem-solving skills, and a bias toward action 

• Comfortable working in a dynamic, hands-on manufacturing environment 

• Experience in nuclear, aerospace, defense manufacturing or other highly regulated environments (ie. AS9100, ISO13845, etc.) 

• Strong working understanding of GD&T use and interpretation (ASME Y14.5) 

Preferred Experience: 

• Experience with ASME Section III code work or NQA-1 quality programs 

• Experience with metrology equipment, techniques, and processes 

• Experience scaling manufacturing operations from prototype to serial production 

• Familiarity with high-rate or automated production line design and optimization 

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt certification 

• Experience with robotic welding, automated inspection, or advanced manufacturing technologies 

• Proficiency with CAD/CAM software, MES, and PLM tools 

• Strong communication skills to convey technical reasoning and mission-critical messaging clearly 

• ASME Y14.5 GD&T Technologist or Senior level certifications 

Physical Requirements: 

• Comfortable working on the factory