Senior Mechanical Designer - Fuel Recycling

About this role

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.

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.

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 or

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