Space Nuclear Systems Engineer

About This Role

Perform cutting-edge analyses within AMA’s Advanced Projects group, supporting multidisciplinary engineering analyses of novel nuclear reactor designs for space applications. This role focuses on fission surface power, nuclear thermal propulsion, and nuclear electric propulsion systems for NASA's Space Nuclear Propulsion project.

Responsibilities

• Assist ongoing AMA analyses by performing neutronic, thermal hydraulic, fuel performance, engine cycle, or mechanical analyses of candidate nuclear propulsion system concepts
• Evaluate the parametric design space through assessment of system-level performance and any technical or programmatic risks
• Independently develop and implement models to perform sensitivities related to candidate engine concept designs
• Perform steady state and transient analyses to inform overall system performance and possible test objectives for an NTP or NEP demonstration
• Communicate technical data to a multidisciplinary team of engineers and project managers via presentations and technical report writing
• Support the ongoing assessment of the radiation environment and dose mitigation strategies for ground testing as well as in-space operation
• Support relevant analyses and trades to determine required technology maturation of reactor components and facilities development for space reactor systems
• Perform literature review and documentation to assist in ongoing space reactor system development and programmatic planning efforts
• Publish reports, papers, and articles on findings

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Minimum of 2 years of research or related work experience in nuclear systems, engine cycle power balancing, space mission analysis, or modeling and simulation
• Experience in computational finite element, fuel performance, reactor physics, radiation physics, thermal hydraulic, and/or numeric analyses of novel fuel and reactor designs
• Familiarity with common reactor design and fuel performance metrics
• Strong skills in MATLAB, Python, and/or C++
• Technical writing experience and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a diverse multi-disciplinary team / audience
• Ability to independently communicate with and interface with government customers or stakeholders
• U.S. Citizenship or U.S. Permanent Residency

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or another related field
• 2+ years of research or related work experience in nuclear systems, engine cycle power balancing, space mission analysis, or modeling and simulation

Nice to Have

• Graduate-level degree in Nuclear Engineering with academic research and/or 0 – 7 years of relevant professional work experience
• Previous exposure to or direct research related to advanced nuclear reactor systems for both in-space applications and terrestrial power generation
• Experience working with NASA, DOE, DOD, or other related government agencies
• Experience performing reactor and radiation physics calculations in MCNP, Serpent, OpenMC, Geant4, SCALE, DAGMC, or equivalent
• Experience with the MOOSE framework and its custom applications, such as Cardinal, Bison, Griffin, etc.
• Experience with finite element analysis using developed software, such as OpenFOAM, ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.
• Experience independently designing and implementing research projects in a nuclear or aerospace related field / industry
• Experience with object-oriented programming, Git version control, and software architecture management
• Self-motivated with good communication skills
• Desire to work in a highly motivated team environment
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to set up processes and organize project tasks

Skills

* Required skills

Benefits