Freelance Nuclear Structural Engineer Jobs in Washington

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values—Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappy, and Tenacity—guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The Member of Nuclear Staff is a senior individual-contributor role for exceptional technical leaders who can operate across traditional engineering and organizational boundaries.

We are seeking experienced professionals with deep expertise in one or more of the following areas: mechanical engineering, civil/structural engineering, construction and project delivery, or nuclear licensing and regulatory affairs.

This is not a narrowly defined engineering position. Members of Nuclear Staff are expected to take ownership of consequential technical and programmatic problems, establish direction where precedent may be limited, and work across engineering, construction, licensing, supply chain, project management, and executive leadership.

You will bring the rigor expected of the nuclear industry and combine it with AI, operating with speed, adaptability, and bias toward execution required in a hyper-growth technology company.

Responsibilities

Mechanical Engineering

• Nuclear and conventional mechanical systems and equipment
• Piping systems, pressure vessels, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and rotating equipment
• System design, analysis, specification, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning
• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and applicable piping codes
• Equipment qualification, seismic considerations, environmental requirements, and design interfaces
• Design reviews, calculations, specifications, vendor technical evaluations, and engineering change control
• Constructability, modularization, fabrication, installation sequencing, and commissioning

Civil / Structural Engineering

• Nuclear structures, systems, and components
• Reinforced concrete, structural steel, foundations, embedded items, and anchorage
• Seismic and dynamic analysis and design
• Geotechnical and site-development interfaces
• Structural design criteria, calculations, specifications, and technical evaluations
• Applicable ACI, AISC, ASCE, NRC, and nuclear-specific codes and standards
• Constructability, modular construction, heavy lifts, temporary works, and field engineering
• Resolution of design-to-field interfaces and construction nonconformances

Construction & Project Delivery

• Nuclear, power generation, industrial, infrastructure, or other large-scale capital project construction
• Construction planning, sequencing, constructability, work packaging, and field execution
• EPC/EPCM and owner-contractor interfaces
• Modularization, prefabrication, advanced work packaging, and repeatable construction strategies
• Site mobilization, temporary facilities, logistics, heavy lifts, installation, testing, turnover, and commissioning
• Field engineering, RFIs, design changes, nonconformances, and configuration management
• Contractor oversight, productivity, schedule, cost, quality, and risk management
• Development of scalable project delivery systems for multi-unit or fleet deployment

Nuclear Licensing & Regulatory

• NRC licensing and regulatory processes for commercial nuclear facilities
• 10 CFR Parts 50 and/or 52 and associated regulatory guidance
• License applications, amendments, exemptions, departures, topical reports, and regulatory submittals
• Safety analysis, licensing basis development, and regulatory requirements management
• NRC interactions, audits, inspections, requests for additional information, and technical meetings
• Translation of regulatory requirements into actionable engineering and construction requirements
• Licensing strategy and regulatory risk management
• Experience navigating novel designs, deployment approaches, or regulatory questions where established precedent may be limited

Experience

• 10+ years of relevant professional experience in nuclear power, power generation, heavy industrial construction, engineering, infrastructure, or another highly regulated technical environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Construction Engineering, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred for certain specialties.
• Demonstrated technical depth and a record of solving difficult engineering, construction, or licensing problems.
• Experience working on complex capital projects through multiple lifecycle phases such as development, design, licensing, procurement, construction, commissioning, or operations.
• Strong understanding of nuclear-grade engineering rigor, configuration control, quality assurance, and requirements management.
• Ability to evaluate technical decisions in the context of safety, licensing, constructability, cost, schedule, supply chain, and execution risk rather than optimizing a single discipline in isolation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence decisions across disciplines and organizations without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical issues to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to operate effectively in an environment characterized by rapid growth, evolving priorities, incomplete information, and high expectations.
• High degree of ownership, judgment, intellectual curiosity, and personal accountability.
• Willingness to go into the details when required while maintaining a system-level and project-level perspective.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range The estimated starting salary range for this role is $179,000 - $228,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company's discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role.

EEO Statement The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.

Export Control Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.

Recruiting Fraud Alert Your safety is our priority. We want to ensure your job search stays secure. Please note that the team at The Nuclear Company only communicates through official @thenuclearcompany.com email addresses. We will never ask for payments or sensitive financial information at any stage of our recruitment process. For your peace of mind, please verify all openings and submit your applications directly through our official careers page.