Mechanical Design Manager

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. 

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Equipment Qualification and Testing, the Mechanical Design Manager, located onsite at the Bellevue office and/or the Bellevue test lab, is responsible for overseeing a team of mechanical design engineers and contractors task with designing test related designs (e.g. test fixtures, test rigs, flow loops, sub-scale test articles, etc.) ensuring technical challenges are resolved as they arise and ensuring the on-time completion of testing deliverables for the Natrium Demonstration Plant. You will lead mechanical engineers and contractors and assist with engineering and full-scale laboratory testing activities.  The prime responsibilities include supporting the design via oversight of testing relating to mechanical design testing related deliverables. 

Responsibilities

• Responsible for coordination and oversight of a diverse mechanical design team. The team members include TerraPower employees, subcontracted resources, partner engineers and teams, and customers.
• Support test activities of mechanical equipment and components to the highest levels of safety and reliability. Demonstrate visible, continuous leadership in the areas of safety and quality.
• Ensure that work process execution and technical adequacy within the group scope are in accordance with contract requirements, project standards, and industry standards.
• Interface with regulators, stakeholders, and customers on design, fabrication, and regulatory issues.
• Coordinate with interfacing project teams and other project support organizations to develop cohesive test strategies across organizational lines and ensure accurate and complete hand-offs are executed.
• Oversee execution of mechanical design work conducted by project subrecipients and subcontractors, including review and approval of drawing/design deliverables to meet project quality and completeness standards.
• Provide technical direction and oversight of external test supplier activities, working with or as the technical representative to ensure delivery of submittals to project requirements.
• Provide engineering review and concurrence of the procurement strategy for select commodities. Manage engineering interfaces to procurement activities.
• Support schedule development efforts during project design phase cycles, budget cycles, and long-range planning development.
• Monitor and report on the team’s performance against the schedule baseline and manage corrective actions to areas of underperformance. Take proactive action to correct negative trends and resolve conflicts in quality, priority, and forecast completion dates.
• Recommend engineering staffing plan for the team using input from project management insights and team skillset analysis. Identify staff changes to meet long range forecasts including replacements due to attrition, new or changing requirements, de-staffing, etc.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding, and indoctrination of new engineers.
• Support employee development through mentoring, training, and challenging assignments within the specific program engineering efforts as assigned.
• Recognize the need and recommend obtaining external subject matter experts and specialty resources.
• Resolve priority conflicts in conjunction with team leadership when issues arise that compete for resources. Elevate those that cannot be resolved to the Senior Manager level.

Key Qualifications and Skills

• B.S. in Mechanical or related discipline from an accredited university and 8+ years direct experience with proven mechanical systems skills.
• 8+ years in a combined technical leadership role with leading performance of technical scope and/or additional manager responsibilities.
• Experience working to quality standard, such as ASME NQA-1 or ISO 9001. 
• A minimum of seven years of CAD proficiency is required, SolidWorks preferred
• Demonstrated experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing per ASME Y14.5
• Experience in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• Experience in Mechanical and Machine Design, preferably in the area of nuclear fuel handling
• Experience using a product data management (PDM) system
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Nuclear design experience preferred but not required
• Demonstrated experience in oversight of supplier and subcontractor organizations in an engineering environment.
• Demonstrated diverse and robust experience in test of complex mechanical components and equipment in high temperature and multi-discipline integration. Previous experience with nuclear mechanical components, nuclear reactor equipment, or similar design is highly desired.
• Proficient knowledge and experience with nuclear quality fabrication, construction, and lifecycle management processes (including In-Service Inspection, material surveillance, vibration programs, equipment qualification programs, etc), and similar skills highly desired.
• Exceptional communication skills to integrate with a geographically and organizationally diverse engineering team are required.
• Ability to manage numerous competing priorities concurrently during a given work week and work with minimal direction to solve multi-disciplinary problems.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly, and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

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 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 hours/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 may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Job Type: Full-time

Salary Range Level 11: $ 138,685 - $ 208,027

*We typically place offers in the lower to middle portion of the range to maintain internal equity and allow room for growth. Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected individual’s qualifications experience.  This range is specific to Washington State.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  •   Medical
  •   Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information:  https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/