Designer – Surface Design

Deep Fission is a nuclear technology company pioneering the development of a revolutionary deep borehole pressurized water reactor. We recently completed a private placement financing and Alternative Public Offering and are now operating as a public company while maintaining our startup agility and innovation focus. With strategic partnerships in place, strong private and public investment, and active engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), we are executing our next phase of growth as we advance our groundbreaking nuclear technology toward commercial deployment. 

Deep Fission is seeking a Designer/Drafter to support the engineering and layout of surface facilities, pipes and systems for Deep Fission. This person will primarily function to support CAD design for facility layout, mechanical layout, pipe layout and all other designer functions for the surface design. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in nuclear facility design, construction, interdisciplinary interface and technical subcontract oversight. This requires experience in the associated tools and processes of power plant layout.

This role requires comfort operating in first-of-a-kind environments where precedent is limited, requirements evolve, and creative problem-solving is essential. This position will help coordinate alignment between multiple engineering disciplines for input to the surface layouts. In addition, this position will support implementation of the software and CAD infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop conceptual mechanical designs for surface systems supporting the reactor, including P&IDs, pipe routing, and mechanical equipment layouts.
• Support surface plant layout, including facility spacing and infrastructure placement, in close coordination with the Surface Plant Designer Lead.
• Coordinate with multiple engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, civil, structural) to maintain alignment on technical scope.
• Advance designs rapidly in a dynamic, resource-constrained environment, applying sound engineering judgment and standard industry practices.
• Interface directly with equipment vendors and suppliers, including review of vendor drawings and negotiation of technical interfaces such as piping routing and equipment placement.
• Participate in general design coordination events, including facility layout meetings, quarterly design/model reviews, and in-person design workshops.
• Participate in project planning (schedule and budgeting) and be prepared to commit to delivery against the project plan.
• Coordinate and prepare drawings, diagrams, and depictions of engineered designs.
• Provide assistance to project and construction management for CSA and layout requirements, identifying issues as they arise during project execution.
• Work with marketing to supply graphics in support of Deep Fission's public face.
• Use AI-enabled platforms (e.g., Claude) as a core part of the conceptual design workflow to accelerate and augment engineering work.

Required Skills & Experience

• 4+ years of experience as a plant or mechanical designer, including delivery of nuclear or other regulated facility designs.
• Experience with industry-standard plant design/CAD packages (e.g., SmartPlant, Hexagon, E3D, AutoCAD Plant 3D, SolidWorks, or Revit).
• Four-year accredited engineering degree or applicable trade school degree (mechanical, aerospace, or related field) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Background in regulated environments such as nuclear, aerospace, defense, or industrial capital projects (e.g., EPC).
• Direct experience interfacing with equipment vendors, including technical negotiation and review of vendor drawings.
• Ability to maintain communication and stakeholder engagement in a fully remote team environment.
• Ability to travel on a limited basis (~10%), generally on a quarterly cadence.
• Must be a U.S. person eligible to meet DOE Export Control requirements under 10 CFR 810.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with SMRs, Gen IV technologies, or first-of-a-kind nuclear reactor development.
• Proficiency with, or strong interest in, AI-enabled engineering platforms (e.g., Claude) for conceptual design and analysis.
• Experience with balance-of-plant mechanical systems (e.g., cooling towers, water treatment, or similar equipment) including vendor-driven design.
• Experience in startup or innovation-driven organizations.
• Understanding of nuclear QA programs (e.g., NQA-1) and compliance documentation

Key Competencies

• Design Acumen – Ability to make assumptions and establish design concepts based on wisdom gained from experience and education.
• Organizational Skills – Experience on structured engineering teams functioning with other engineering disciplines, and subcontractors to support project objectives.
• Subcontractor Oversight – Ability to achieve engineering objectives utilizing subcontracted services.
• Adaptability/Resilience - The capacity to adjust actions, strategies, and behaviors in response to unexpected or ambiguous situations, learning and pivoting quickly.

Our Commitment: 

Deep Fission is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our passion for advancing clean nuclear energy and creating a sustainable future. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.