Senior Mechanical Engineer, Natrium

Requisition ID: 273877 

•  Relocation Authorized: National - Family 
• Telework Type: Part-Time Telework 
• Requisition Posting End Date: 01/09/2024 
• Work Location: Reston, VA 

 

Bechtel Overview

Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world’s infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.

 

Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customer’s objectives to create a lasting positive impact. We serve the Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Energy; Mining and Metals; and Manufacturing and Technology markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations.

 

Core to Bechtel are our values-ethics, safety, quality, people, culture, relationships, innovation and sustainability, and our covenants-integrity, respect, collaboration, trust, and delivery. They are what we believe, what customers expect, and how we deliver.

 

 

Project Overview

Bechtel is the licensing, engineering, procurement, and construction partner on TerraPower’s Natrium team. Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, Natrium is participating in a DOE initiative to re-establish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy that provides matching funding to industry to design and build an operational advanced reactor. TerraPower, a leading advanced generation technology company founded by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, will be deploying its 345 MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR), called Natrium. The Natrium plant features an advanced, cost-competitive reactor design that is safer, simpler, easier, and less costly to construct, less expensive to operate, and able to provide energy that is competitive with fossil fuels. It also features an innovative molten salt energy storage system designed to be complementary to solar and wind power by evening out the peaks and valleys in production when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing. With the reactor and energy storage output combined, the plant can produce more than 500 MWe of power.

 

Other Natrium partners include GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Energy Northwest, PacifiCorp, and Duke Energy, along with support from a number of national laboratories and universities. This DOE Program has the potential to be the largest funding program for advanced nuclear power in U.S. history and will shape the future of nuclear energy for decades.

 

 

Position Overview

This position will support the design development of Mechanical systems and equipment for the Natrium Reactor project by preparing studies, drawings, calculations, specifications, data sheets, and evaluations, in accordance with applicable procedures, codes, standards, and contract requirements. This position will also work with estimating, mechanical engineers, and other technical disciplines in a team environment.

 

 

Responsibilities

• Coordinate within the engineering group and other disciplines and groups independently in developing the preliminary system design and equipment identification in a team environment.
• Resolve technical issues related to the discipline independently, including any required interface with other disciplines, groups, suppliers, and the customer.
• Execute schedule requirements while maintaining a high degree of quality in work products.
• Support development of project cost and schedule estimates.
• Coordinate closely with other technical disciplines in planning and executing work as an integrated team.

 

 

Qualifications and Skills

Basic Qualifications

• Level I -  BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or Chemical Engineering from an accredited university or college with six (7) years of progressive related experience, or in lieu of degree, twelve (12) years of progressive related experience.
• Level II - BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or Chemical Engineering from an accredited university or college with nine (9) years of progressive related experience, or in lieu of degree, fifteen (15) years of progressive related experience.
• Must be able to complete a pre-employment drug screen and background check.
• Must be able to work in the US without sponsorship.

 

 

Minimum Qualifications

• Relevant experience includes, but is not limited to, P&IDs, calculations, and specifications for Mechanical systems and equipment on power plants, r