Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

OkloSanta Clara, CA or Remote$100k–$190k/yr

Credentials that matter

Skills and tools

  • CFD Software
  • Thermal-hydraulic Engineering
  • Reactor Transient Analysis
  • SMR
  • Reactor Safety Codes

Required qualifications

  • Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in nuclear, mechanical, or aerospace engineering or related technical field
  • Proficiency with STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, Nek-5000, or equivalent CFD software
  • Strong competency in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics first principles
  • Experience with data processing including pre-processing, post-processing, and scripting

About this role

Oklo seeks a Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer to conduct high-fidelity thermal-hydraulic simulations for advanced fission reactor systems, including reactor cores, vessels, heat exchangers, and balance-of-plant equipment. You will develop and validate analysis methods, collaborate with design teams on reactor design decisions, and produce rigorous technical documentation to support licensing and engineering confidence.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and conduct high-fidelity CFD analyses to evaluate thermal-hydraulic behavior in reactor cores, vessels, heat exchangers, power conversion, and balance-of-plant systems
  • Design, model, and analyze thermal-hydraulic systems using first-principles approaches
  • Develop and utilize analysis methods to build engineering confidence in design decisions
  • Perform multi-disciplinary engineering analyses including thermal, fluid, safety, manufacturability, and cost assessments
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with design teams to define thermal-hydraulic requirements and provide technical feedback
  • Document work using modern tools and produce clear, thorough technical reports for internal and regulatory stakeholders

Preferred qualifications

  • 5+ years of CFD experience in an industrial or power generation setting
  • Experience with thermal-hydraulic engineering principles and multi-physics analysis for power systems
  • Knowledge of nuclear engineering principles, advanced reactor designs, or small modular reactors (SMRs)
  • Experience analyzing heat exchangers, turbomachinery, and fluid control systems
  • Proficiency with Python and modern software engineering practices
  • Experience with reactor transient analysis methods
  • Familiarity with systems or reactor safety codes such as GOTHIC, RELAP, TRACE, SAM, or SAS4A/SASSYS-1

Location, schedule, and travel

Remote with required travel to Santa Clara, CA headquarters twice quarterly; the first two weeks of onboarding must be completed in-person at headquarters.

Similar roles

Monday digest. No spam.

Senior Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

Oklo · $100k–$190k/yr

Apply on Oklo, opens in a new tab