Nuclear Engineer

ABOUT SUBCRITICAL SYSTEMS

Subcritical Systems, Inc. is a venture-backed startup in Austin, Texas building the accelerator driven systems and the only US commercial manufacturer of accelerator cavities. What Space X did for rockets, we plan to do for accelerator cavities and commercialize across applications of power production, medical isotopes, semiconductors and waste transmutation.

We are in the process of building the Energy Amplifier — a novel nuclear fission system in which a particle accelerator drives a subcritical core, making meltdown physically impossible for clean power production. Due to its inherent safety, our system has a more streamlined licensing process. Our founding team includes successful entrepreneurs with a track record of building several multibillion dollar companies in deep-tech, and scientists who were leading U.S. national labs with deep experience in accelerator & nuclear technologies.

We are actively hiring to expand our team as we work toward licensing, regulatory submissions, and construction of our first energy amplifier. More information is available at subcritical.com.

ROLE SUMMARY

We seek a creative and dynamic nuclear engineer to join our growing team in a full-time, on-site capacity. Reporting to the SVP for Nuclear, the selected candidate will be an integral member of the Nuclear team responsible for designing, prototyping, and constructing the core. The selected candidate will analyze radiation-induced phenomena in the plant such as radiation damage to materials, energy deposition, induced activation, and dose rates in occupied areas.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyze activation, nuclear heating, and radiation damage in various structures and coolants throughout the plant.
• Design and optimize radiation shielding protecting personnel and equipment.
• Support the neutronic design of the subcritical assembly.
• Serve as Radiation Safety Officer at Subcritical’s accelerator fabrication factory.
• Apply AI tools to enhance productivity.
• Document work in written reports, presentations, and regulatory submissions.
• Participate in design reviews, safety reviews, and technical working groups to ensure integrated system performance.
• Identify and drive resolution of technical risks and interface issues across affected systems.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• B.S. in Nuclear Engineering or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated competence in the use of radiation transport codes such as MCNP or OpenMC to calculate particle fluxes, radiation dose, and energy deposition.
• Working knowledge of radiation safety.
• Strong work ethic, resilient, able to work in a fast-paced environment, driven, passionate about the field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Preferred
• One to two years of experience in a similar capacity.
• Working knowledge of materials as applied to nuclear systems.

BENEFITS

Benefits: We offer health, dental, and vision insurance.

LOCATION & WORK POLICY

This role is fully in person in Austin, Texas. Our facility is located next to Austin Airport.