Safety Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Thanks for your interest in Oklo!  We are searching for a radiological Hot Cell Design Engineer to join our dynamic fuel recycling engineering group, which is designing and deploying a modern nuclear fuel recycling facility. This is a rare opportunity to contribute to the design and development of one of the most advanced radiological hot cell systems ever.

Position Description:

As a Hot Cell Design Engineer at Oklo, you will help shape a highly specialized, remotely-operable hot cell environment that enables the safe, efficient processing of used nuclear fuel (UNF).

You'll work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, nuclear, chemical, and controls engineers to integrate critical systems such as shielding, containment, and remote operations into an industrial-scale recycling facility.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead or support the mechanical and systems design of radiological hot cells used in UNF recycling, including shielding, ventilation, confinement, and remote handling systems

• Define equipment and material layouts, including material transfer pathways and maintenance access strategies

• Work with radiation modeling and safety analysis specialists to develop shielding requirements and establish design constraints

• Integrate robotic and remote handling technologies (e.g., manipulators, cameras, cranes, etc.) into cell design

• Contribute to the structural evaluation of confinement systems, ensuring compliance with fire protection, external hazard, and natural phenomena hazard requirements

• Collaborate with structural, HVAC, instrumentation, and process engineers to ensure seamless integration across all hot cell systems

• Participate in Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA), hazard analyses, and radiological safety assessments

• Contribute to design reviews, procurement specifications, and installation and commissioning plans

• Support prototyping, testing, and commissioning of hot cell subsystems

Competencies:

We are looking for a Hot Cell Design Engineer that is:

• Passionate about clean energy, fuel recycling, and efficient stewardship of natural resources

• An optimist at heart

• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality

• Willing and able to learn quickly

• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways 

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly-iterative startup environment

• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before 

• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems

• An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice (so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!)

• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related discipline

• 5+ years of experience in radiological facility design, glovebox or hot cell engineering, or radiological material handling

• Strong working knowledge of remote handling systems, robotics, or manipulator technologies

• Understanding of radiation shielding principles, criticality safety, and radiological protection standards

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate on cross-functional teams and integrate feedback from engineering, licensing, and safety

• Strong systems engineering intuition and problem-solving capabilities

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with hot cells used in nuclear fuel cycle facilities, isotope production, or defense applications

• Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, Inventor) and engineering drawing standards

• Knowledge of NRC and/or DOE regulatory requirements and nuclear standards for nuclear facilities

• Prior hands-on experience with mockups, prototyping, or commissioning of radiological systems

• Experience with vendor coordination, A&E firms, and project management

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. Even 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: $80,000-$180,000

Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, competitive pay, 401k, health insurance, FSA, flexible work hours, and other benefits.

We are looking to fill this position immediately!

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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.