Applied Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Design Engineer

Navarro Research and Engineering is recruiting an Applied Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Design Engineer.

Navarro Research & Engineering is an award-winning federal contractor dedicated to partnering with clients to advance clean energy and deliver effective solutions for complex challenges in the nuclear and environmental fields. Joining Navarro means being a part of an exceptional team committed to quality and safety while also looking for innovative strategies to create value for the client’s success. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Navarro has active programs in place across the nation for DOE/NNSA, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

The Role

The Applied Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Design Engineer provides applied mechanical engineering support for a novel advanced reactor design project. The position applies engineering principles to mechanical problems involving the motion and dynamics of heat, gas, air, fluids, and solid materials to support the design of nuclear reactors and systems that operate safely, reliably, efficiently, and predictably.

The engineer develops, evaluates, documents, and maintains mechanical designs in accordance with applicable technical baseline requirements, codes, regulations, and national consensus standards, including the ASME B31 series and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. The role works within a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, designers, customers, and analysts and supports activities from conceptual design through fabrication, assembly, installation, testing, reactor operations, and experimentation.

This is a six-month remote assignment requiring 40 hours per week (1,040 total hours) on a 4x10 schedule, Monday through Thursday, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Occasional travel to the INL site is expected, averaging approximately once per month for the duration of the contract.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers on the design of a novel advanced reactor.
• Perform mechanical system design and evaluation and support the completion and implementation of assigned projects.
• Design and evaluate applications involving high-temperature springs, safety-related steel and concrete nuclear structures, shielding systems, and pipe supports in accordance with ASME B31 requirements.
• Document the design of electromechanical devices, including control rod and control drum drive mechanisms, through controlled and approved models, drawings, specifications, and design descriptions that demonstrate conformance with design requirements and applicable codes and standards.
• Decompose project objectives into defined and controlled design requirements by applying a systems engineering approach and digital engineering tools to track requirements and design parameters.
• Apply industry best-practice design methodologies, technologies, and processes to develop and define designs and validate that each design meets established requirements.
• Establish testing, inspection, and quality requirements that ensure technical features important to design functions are maintained.
• Oversee or otherwise ensure that fabrication, construction, assembly, and procurement activities are completed in accordance with the approved design.
• Ensure designs satisfy technical baseline requirements and applicable codes and regulations.
• Develop, verify the adequacy of, and maintain configuration management for the technical baseline and assigned systems.
• Maintain consistency in operating characteristics across applicable drawings, technical manuals, operating instructions, and emergency operating procedures.
• Work with designers, customers, and analysts to develop experiment requirements; perform conceptual and final designs; follow fabrication and inspection activities; lead experiment assembly; support installation and testing; and support integrated analyses needed to ensure facility safety bases are met.
• Perform design, fabrication, and related activities leading to reactor operations and experimentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Lead Reactor Project Engineer or Engineering Manager.

Requirements

• Proficiency in mechanical system design in accordance with relevant national consensus codes and standards, including the ASME B31 series and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers on advanced reactor design activities.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in system design and evaluation and in project completion and implementation.
• Experience with high-temperature springs.
• Experience designing safety-related steel and concrete nuclear structures.
• Experience designing pipe supports in accordance with ASME B31 requirements.
• Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles used to produce precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology, including the principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment used in the design and production of goods and services.
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems, combine information to form sound conclusions, recognize actual or potential problems, and communicate technical information clearly in written and verbal interactions.
• Ability to work remotely and travel to the Materials and Fuels Complex as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with shielding systems for nuclear reactor applications.
• Experience applying systems engineering and digital engineering tools to manage design requirements and parameters.
• Experience supporting experiment design, fabrication, inspection, assembly, installation, testing, integrated safety analyses, reactor operations, or experimentation.

Education and Experience

A Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or a directly related field from an ABET-accredited program and a minimum of eight years of relevant experience; or a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or a directly related field from an ABET-accredited program and a minimum of six years of relevant experience.