Senior Manager, Core Mechanical Performance Testing

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.”

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

Senior Manager, Core Mechanical Performance Testing               

TerraPower, LLC is seeking a highly motivated Senior Manager to support the engineering efforts of the Natrium Fuel Engineering and Technology team. This role is part of a high‑performing group of engineers responsible for testing and qualification of next‑generation core components and the methodologies that support sodium‑cooled fast reactor development. In this position, you will lead the planning and execution of testing activities that enable design maturation and validation of analytical methods. You will work closely with internal customers to determine feasible testing approaches, timelines, and cost expectations, and you will play a critical role communicating these needs and outcomes to project stakeholders.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and manage a highly effective group focused on a broad portion of the interdisciplinary technical scope:
• Demonstrate visible, continuous leadership in the areas of safety and quality
• Focus on maintaining an inclusive and welcoming work environment which fosters innovation and synergy.
• Organize group structure to be able to perform
• Hire, train, and qualify personnel
• Develop team managers 
• Identify and propose staffing needs, prepare job descriptions, and interview candidates
• Set yearly goals, hold mid-year checks, and perform annual performance reviews
• Support employee professional development and career objectives
• Coach for performance
• Help resolve employee concerns
• Recommend promotions, transfers, and other staffing changes
• Ensure the production of project and technical scope according to and within project schedule and budget:
• Estimate effort and durations required for scheduled activities
• Decompose scheduled activities into executable sub-activities
• Ensure main deliverables and inputs required from other groups are clearly identified and linked in project schedules.
• Participate and provide input and feedback to Pre-Job Plan (PJP) meetings
• Define engineer training and qualification needs
• Assign applicable personnel to activities
• Monitor and report status of activities
• Approve timecards and contractor invoices
• Help develop and review statements of work with Procurement personnel for supplier technical activities
• Identify and communicate opportunities for work process improvements with department business manager
• Prepare and initiate budget cost and schedule change notices
• Ensure the technical adequacy and quality of work products:
• Ensure technical adequacy of work performed
• Provide reviews and approvals attesting to technical adequacy of work products
• Ensure compliance with TerraPower Engineering procedures and guidelines, including applicable quality standards
• Keep the team technically synchronized with each other and with the project
• Facilitate definition of technical interfaces/handoffs from other teams
• Provide technical oversight of contractor, supplier, and partner work where applicable
• Keep managers, department directors, and lead technical staff informed of major emerging technical issues
• Provide input to technical risk harvesting exercises
• Assist in the identification of regulations, codes and standards applicable to the work
• Ensure technical documents meet applicable regulatory guides, codes and standards 
• Ensure design conducted in accordance with project requirements, configuration management and change control plans and practices. 
• Ensure interface with regulators, stakeholders, and customers on scope design issues is carried out in a technically sound, accurate, and complete basis.
• For key interface activities such as submittals and critical presentations, personally ensure information transfer is accurate and complete.

Key Qualifications and Skills 

• Minimum of B.S. in applicable engineering field
• Minimum 5 years of experience testing systems and components
• Minimum 3 years in a combined technical leadership role with ongoing requirement for performance of project technical scope, in addition to other manager responsibilities 
• Experience in mechanical testing and/or flow testing required
• Experience with maintenance of plant or test systems and components is required
• Experience with lifting and handling is required
• Testing experience that ranges from Research & Development through deployment
• ASME NQA-1 testing experience required
• Experience managing a multi-disciplinary team required
• Excellent writing, presentation and communication skills 
• Ability to work with minimum direction to solve challenging problems
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

This position is subject to qualification requirements in accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1. Candidates must meet the minimum education and experience criteria applicable to the role, including relevant nuclear industry experience where required. Verification of data will be part of the hiring process.

Job Functions:

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation.  Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations.  An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government.  TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.  To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.  Government export authorization approval times vary.  Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Salary Range: $184,367 - $245,823
Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to WA State.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information:  https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/