Lead Engineer, Power Conversion

Job Description

About the Company

Two problems define this century: keeping the lights on, and doing it without wrecking the planet. Our client, an early-stage nuclear energy startup, is betting that fission solves both at once.

Rather than chasing exotic new physics, they're building the industrial capability to produce fission power plants fast, at a rate nobody in the industry has attempted, starting with a first commercial reactor and the critical subsystems that make it real. Today they are lean, founder-led, and moving very fast.

This is a direct hire, permanent placement position for a client of AdAstra Talent Advisors.

About the Role

This role owns the system that turns the reactor's heat into usable electricity: the turbine and generator, the high-power electrical systems that interface with the load, a regenerative feedwater heating train, condensate filtration and polishing, control electronics, and heat rejection. If the reactor makes the heat, you're building everything that turns that heat into power.

You'll stand up this system twice. First for a subscale, non-nuclear prototype built to prove out the approach. Then at full scale, designed from day one to be manufactured and deployed at a high rate. Along the way you'll drive the conceptual design and architecture trades, write the requirements where none exist yet, run first-principles system models, work directly with vendors on procurement, and partner with the production team to make sure what you design is scalable.

You'll report directly to the CEO / Chief Engineer and recruit/build the multi-disciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers who deliver this with you.

Responsibilities

**Someone who has owned a complex electromechanical system end to end in high-ownership environments, and is comfortable making real design calls while building out data and conclusions. The team moves fast and needs a leader in this seat who holds a high bar, and genuinely wants to see abundant clean energy become a reality.**
Requirements

* Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a related technical discipline
* 3 years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building mechanical hardware

* 1 years of direct experience leading engineers

Preferred Experience

* A creative, multi-disciplinary problem solver who can pull mechanical, electrical, and controls thinking together
* Comfortable in a fast-paced, autonomous, demanding environment

* Strong documentation, communication, and organizational instincts, even when moving quickly

* A track record of rapid growth: successive roles of increasing responsibility, ramping up fast, and doing something meaningfully hard early in your career

*\*The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.*

Logistical Requirements

* On-site in the Los Angeles Area; relocation support for non-local candidates
* Some extended hours and weekends should be expected at this stage of company
* Periodic travel to suppliers and reactor construction sites

ITAR Requirement

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Benefit Highlights
Base salary is just one part of our client's total rewards package. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or stock options, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at.a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, paid vacation, parental leave, and various other perks. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies of exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. (For CA companies with over 10 employees, we recommend adding a very wide salary band to adhere to state pay transparency law) In addition to base salary, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision \& dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Equal Opportunity
Our client is an equal opportunity employer. They evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

About AdAstra

AdAstra Talent Advisors is a headhunting and talent advising firm focused on the Climate, Space, and Defense sectors of Hard Tech. We specialize in pairing highly technical and executive talent with some of the world's leading Hard Tech startups.

At AdAstra, we catalyze the innovations that future generations depend on by placing the right people in the right seats. Our dedicated work enables inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars. And it's all because of trailblazing talent like you - those driven to do what's never been done before.

We care about long term relationships with both candidates and companies. Even if the role we initially discuss isn't a perfect fit, it's likely we'll have something relevant to share with you in the future.

Join us on our journey by following along via LinkedIn!

CEO, Seyka Mejeur \| LinkedIn profile

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