Senior Mechanical Designer - Fuel Recycling

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for a Mechanical Designer to join our Fuel Recycling Engineering team.

Position Description

The person in this role is responsible for developing detailed mechanical designs, 3D CAD models, fabrication drawings, and prototype hardware supporting Oklo's first-of-a-kind nuclear fuel recycling technology. This work directly supports the development of advanced electrochemical processing equipment used to close the nuclear fuel cycle.

This position is heavily focused on translating engineering concepts into practical, manufacturable hardware. Working closely with mechanical, process, nuclear, materials, and controls engineers, the Mechanical Designer will create production-quality CAD models and drawing packages for custom equipment ranging from benchtop prototypes to production-scale process systems.

The ideal candidate enjoys designing hardware that gets built, working directly with machinists and fabricators, and iterating designs through hands-on prototyping and testing.

The equipment developed will operate in high-temperature (>500 °C), chemically aggressive, and high-radiation environments and includes molten salt vessels, high-temperature furnaces, gloveboxes, hot cells, tooling, fixtures, remote handling equipment, and other custom process hardware.

There is a strong preference for candidates located in the Oak Ridge, Tennessee area.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Develop detailed 3D CAD models and manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks.
• Produce fabrication, assembly, weldment, machining, and installation drawings suitable for manufacturing and procurement.
• Translate engineering concepts into manufacturable mechanical designs with strong attention to detail.
• Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles throughout the design process.
• Collaborate closely with engineers, machinists, welders, and fabrication vendors to optimize designs for manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance.
• Develop custom mechanical assemblies, fixtures, tooling, furnace components, vessels, and supporting process equipment.
• Support prototype fabrication by responding to shop questions, incorporating manufacturing feedback, and revising drawings as designs evolve.
• Maintain engineering documentation including bills of materials, drawing revisions, and controlled CAD files.
• Participate in design reviews and contribute practical fabrication and assembly recommendations.
• Assist with prototype assembly, equipment integration, and iterative design improvements based on testing and operational feedback.
• Help develop CAD standards, drawing templates, and design best practices that improve consistency across the engineering organization.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associate's degree, technical certification, or Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Design, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Drafting, or a related technical field (or equivalent professional experience).
• 5+ years of experience developing detailed mechanical designs and fabrication drawings.
• Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks, including complex assemblies, weldments, sheet metal, and drawing creation.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including machining, welding, sheet metal fabrication, and mechanical assembly.
• Experience creating fabrication drawings with appropriate GD&T, tolerancing, bills of materials, and manufacturing notes.
• Demonstrated experience applying Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles.
• Ability to interpret engineering requirements and produce accurate, complete mechanical documentation.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience designing equipment for radiological or nuclear facilities.
• Experience designing gloveboxes, hot cells, shielded equipment, or remote handling systems.
• Experience designing high-temperature process equipment, including furnaces or thermal processing systems operating above 500 °C.
• Experience with molten salt systems, vacuum systems, or corrosive chemical processing equipment.
• Experience producing large weldments, pressure-containing assemblies, or custom process vessels.
• Familiarity with ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards and industrial drafting best practices.
• Experience using PDM/PLM systems for CAD and document management.
• Experience supporting rapid prototyping and iterative hardware development.
• Experience collaborating directly with machine shops, fabrication vendors, and equipment installers.
• Experience in commercial or governmental nuclear projects.

There is a strong preference for candidates located in the Oak Ridge, Tennessee area.

Competencies

We are looking for a Mechanical Designer that is:

• Passionate about clean energy and advancing nuclear technology.
• Highly proficient in SolidWorks with exceptional attention to detail.
• Passionate about creating clean, organized, and accurate fabrication drawings.
• Experienced designing components that are straightforward to machine, fabricate, weld, and assemble.
• Comfortable working closely with fabrication shops and incorporating practical manufacturing feedback into designs.
• Curious about how things are built and motivated to continuously improve designs through rapid iteration.
• Comfortable working on first-of-a-kind equipment where requirements evolve as prototypes are developed.
• Organized and capable of managing multiple concurrent design efforts.
• An optimist at heart, comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment.
• An excellent communicator who enjoys collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Experience level:

Experienced (5+ years): Candidates should have demonstrated experience producing mechanical designs and fabrication drawings for custom industrial equipment, machinery, or prototype systems.

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $100,000 - $150,000 DOE

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

About Oklo Inc.:

Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

CHOP: Oklo’s Values

Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.

Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.

Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.

Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.

Candidates should be aware that employment may be contingent upon successful completion of a drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing at any time in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.

Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer

Oklo is aware of recent recruitment fraud attempts targeting job seekers. Please be cautious of anyone claiming to represent Oklo who does not contact you from an official Oklo email address.

All legitimate communications from our recruiting team—including application updates, interview requests, and job offers—will come exclusively from an @oklo.com email. Oklo will never ask for sensitive personal information, payments, or account credentials during the hiring process.

If you receive suspicious outreach or have concerns about the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from Oklo, please contact us through the official channels listed on our website.