NextGenEnergyJobsModern Power System Jobs

Principal Mechanical Engineer, Fuel Handling Equipment

Kairos Power

Oakridge, TN

Full Time

Posted October 30, 2026

$123k - $175k· Est.

Nuclear Energy

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Application opens on company website

Listing evidence and provenance

Source: Greenhouse View original listing
Freshness: Open in the current public read path; this is not an employer guarantee.Last observed October 31, 2026
Classification: Modern power-system classification not yet published for this listing.Legacy source industry field: Nuclear Energy
Pay provenance: Estimated benchmark; not employer-provided

Job Description

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Principal Fuel Handling Equipment Testing Engineer with technical expertise relevant to design, development, testing and manufacturing of automated systems for fuel handling and storage equipment.

Key Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership for the deployment, testing, assembly, and development activities of the fuel handling team at the Tennessee site.
Design, build, and test prototype assemblies to demonstrate concept functionality and performance in prototypic conditions.
Design and build testing platforms, for the exploration of design features or operations that require maturation.
Lead the development of remote handling features, tools, and operations for fuel handling components in collaboration with operations and maintenance teams.
Collaborate with operations and the assembly team to create assembly plans, testing requirements, operations, and procedures.
Generate 3D design layouts and 2D drawings for electro-mechanical equipment, including the desired interface with the nuclear vessel head and other locations in the primary system.
Create or direct the creation of manufacturing drawings for KP-FHR custom fuel handling equipment, and other moving components, and coordinate fabrication with internal manufacturing teams and suppliers.
Contribute to make/buy analyses, supplier selections, and the development of manufacturing plans.
Generate detailed verification and acceptance test plans for all standard and custom components.
Provide on-site technical support for the operation and troubleshooting of custom components during startup and commissioning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience in mechanical or electromechanical equipment development, testing, deployment, or commissioning; or master’s degree in mechanical engineering and 5+ years of relevant experience; or PhD in mechanical engineering and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
Experience performing hands-on prototyping and testing of novel electromechanical systems.
Experience designing equipment for nuclear, energy, chemical, petrochemical, defense, or aerospace, or other applications with comparable technical requirements.
Experience using SolidWorks to develop equipment models and engineering drawings.
Occasionally requires schedule flexibility.
Occasionally requires extended hours to support critical project timelines, fabrication activities, testing, or deployment milestones.
#LI-Onsite

Benefits & Perks

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:
Competitive compensation packages
Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
Paid Vacation
401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)
Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.
Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810