Core Mechanical Design - Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Role overview

Oklo is hiring a Core Mechanical Design – Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design core assemblies and components used in advanced reactors. You will guide designs from concept through final design, partnering closely with fuel fabrication and cross-functional analysis and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical component and assembly designs to meet performance and manufacturing requirements.
• Create and maintain design documentation, including:
  • 3D CAD models, 2D drawings
  • product/material specifications
  • design basis and calculation documents
  • bills of materials (BOMs)
• Conduct and participate in design reviews, providing and incorporating technical feedback.
• Rigorously evaluate designs to find deficiencies and propose proactive solutions.
• Maintain CAD and drawing work using controlled PDM/PLM processes.
• Coordinate with analysis teams to interpret and support thermal, structural, fatigue, and safety analyses for design validation.
• Perform manufacturability and tolerance work, including DFM/DFA assessments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of mechanical design processes, tools, and standards.

Requirements

• 5–10 years of industry experience in mechanical/structural design (e.g., aerospace, automotive, energy, industrial equipment).
• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD and drawings (Siemens NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks), including large assemblies.
• Experience with CAD version control in PDM/PLM tools (e.g., Teamcenter, SolidWorks PDM, Windchill).
• Strong mechanical design fundamentals including DFM, DFA, and tolerance stack-up.
• Ability to apply GD&T per ASME Y14.5-2018.
• Knowledge of material selection (especially metals), manufacturing methods, and fabrication techniques.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally across analysis, manufacturing, and systems engineering.
• Strong written and verbal communication; comfortable working with external manufacturers/consultants.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience designing for safety-critical / high-integrity systems (nuclear, aerospace, defense, heavy industry).
• Track record leading hardware projects end-to-end (concept → design → testing → production).
• Knowledge of manufacturing and inspection processes; precision machine design and tolerancing.
• Familiarity with thermal-mechanical principles for high-temperature environments.
• Basic knowledge of nuclear fission/radiation effects on materials.
• Exposure to ANSYS and/or Python scripting.
• ASME GD&T Professional certification (Senior/Technologist) and Siemens NX proficiency.