Loads & Dynamics Engineer

The role

You will own and execute structural loads, vibration, and dynamic analyses for the Kaleidos microreactor and its supporting hardware. This role involves ensuring structural integrity across manufacturing, transportation, deployment, and operational environments.

What you will do

• Develop and own static, dynamic, and transient loads for reactor systems, support structures, and transport configurations.
• Perform structural dynamics analyses including modal, random vibration, shock, sine vibration, and fatigue assessments.
• Implement explicit dynamics simulations to model nonlinear reactor response.
• Define and analyze transportation and handling environments for road, rail, air, or sea transport.
• Generate load cases and environments to support structural sizing, design margins, and verification plans.
• Conduct finite element analyses using tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or similar tools.
• Collaborate with design engineers to influence hardware architecture, material selection, and joint design.
• Support test planning and correlation, including shaker tests, modal surveys, and structural verification testing.
• Develop and maintain analysis documentation, reports, and requirements.
• Contribute to failure investigations, root cause analyses, and design improvements.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in loads, dynamics, or structural analysis for complex mechanical systems.
• Strong fundamentals in structural mechanics, dynamics, and vibration.
• Experience with finite element modeling and analysis of metallic and composite structures.
• Proficiency with industry-standard FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran).
• Familiarity with design allowables, safety factors, and margin-of-safety methodologies.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate analysis results clearly.

Nice to have

• Experience in aerospace, launch, defense, nuclear, or heavy industrial hardware environments.
• Dynamics modeling software experience (LD-Dyna, Abaqus explicit, or other).
• Background in shock and vibration testing and test-article correlation.
• Knowledge of fatigue, fracture mechanics, and bolted joint analysis.
• Experience defining or interpreting environmental specifications and requirements.
• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Familiarity with nuclear, spaceflight, or safety-critical system requirements.

Benefits

• 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.
• 8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents.
• Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees.
• Nuclear Engineering Certificate Program: 100% covered educational program with Penn State University for eligible employees.
• Daily catered lunch.
• Free snacks and drinks.
• Flexible PTO policy.

Before you apply

• Any job offer will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.

About the company

Radiant is an El Segundo, CA-based company building the world's only mass-produced, transportable nuclear microreactors. Founded in 2020, Radiant is under contract to deliver power to the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force.