Materials Engineer, Moderator Materials at Radiant in El Segundo, CA

Job description

About Radiant Radiant is an El Segundo, CA-based startup building the world’s first mass-produced, portable nuclear microreactors. Rising energy demand is straining the U.S. grid and driving up utility costs, emissions, and interconnection backlogs. Radiant decentralizes energy, producing power close to where it’s used. Its first reactor, Kaleidos, is a factory-built, 1-megawatt, fail-safe microreactor that can be transported by land, sea, or air and runs up to 5 years without refueling. Deployed locally without a decade-long build or permitting fight, Kaleidos provides independent power for critical infrastructure like military bases, data centers, hospitals, and remote sites. Founded in 2020, Radiant is under contract to deliver power to the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and has pre-order agreements with Equinix, with deployments beginning in 2028. About the Role Radiant is seeking a highly motivated Materials Engineer to own development, testing, and qualification of in-core moderator and reflector materials and related manufacturing processes used for the Kaleidos 1MW nuclear microreactor. The ideal candidate takes great ownership of their work end-to-end, is proficient in materials selection, testing, and analysis, and is excited to work in a highly cross-functional, fast-paced environment. You will be a key contributor to building the world's first mass-produced, rapidly-deployable nuclear reactor. Responsibilities & Duties • Plan and execute materials testing to obtain material properties to inform design decisions. • Develop and qualify application-specific manufacturing processes such as graphitization, hot isostatic pressing, extrusion, etc. • Provide expert guidance in materials selection for moderator and reflector components within Kaleidos. • Lead R&D efforts for advanced moderator and reflector materials. • Develop and execute test campaigns to qualify moderator and reflector materials using in-house materials testing and characterization equipment as well as coordination with outside labs and vendors. • Evaluate data quality and accuracy of material property data for use in company materials database. • Define or improve manufacturing processes of components to achieve desired material properties. Required Qualifications & Skills • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Materials Science and Engineering, or in Mechanical, Aeronautical, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering with a materials science and engineering focus. • 2+ years of experience working in the development, testing, and/or analysis of materials for demanding load cases and environments • Hands-on experimental or testing experience in laboratory or production environments Desired Qualifications & Skills • Master’s or PhD degree from an accredited institution in Materials Science and Engineering, or in Mechanical, Aeronautical, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering with a materials science and engineering focus. • Experience with development and qualification of nuclear moderator and reflector materials for high temperature and irradiation environments. • Knowledge of standard test methods for materials and experience with development of design allowables. • Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills. • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with design and operations teams to deliver high-value results. • Experience with using text-based software development tools (Python or similar). Benefits and Perks • Stock: Substantial incentive stock plan for all full-time employees. • Medical: 100% up to base silver level plan for employee + 50% dependents, offers up to Platinum plans. • One Medical: Sponsored memberships for employees and their dependents. • Vision: 100% top tier plan coverage + 50% for dependents. • Dental: 100% top tier plan coverage, orthodontia extra, 50% for dependents. • Voluntary life, accident, hospital, critical illness, commuter and FSA/HSA are offered as employee contributed benefits