How to apply for Mechanical Design Engineer - Core Mechanical Design

About Oklo

Oklo is developing next-generation fast fission technology and recycling nuclear waste to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy. The company operates a fuel fabrication team and designs advanced reactors, so engineers work on hardware that moves from concept to manufactured components.

About the role

This mechanical design engineer role focuses on core assemblies and components for Oklo's advanced reactors. You will own designs from concept through final documentation, working with the fuel fabrication team to improve manufacturability and inspectability. The work directly defines the physical reactor core, so design decisions affect performance, safety, and production.

A typical day

A typical day may involve updating 3D CAD models or 2D drawings for a core assembly, reviewing manufacturability feedback from the fuel fabrication team, and coordinating with analysis teams on thermal or structural results. You might also write or revise design basis documents, product specifications, or calculation documents and participate in a design review. The exact daily routine depends on the current design phase, so ask about team structure and design review cadence during interviews.

Who Oklo is looking for

• Has experience taking mechanical designs from concept to production, including 3D CAD models, 2D drawings, and bills of materials in PDM/PLM systems
• Can create and maintain design basis documents, product and material specifications, and calculation documents
• Has worked with manufacturing or fabrication teams to refine designs for manufacturability and inspectability
• Can coordinate with thermal, structural, fatigue, and safety analysis teams and interpret their results to validate designs

Tips for this application

• In your resume, list specific core assembly or reactor component designs you have worked on, including the materials and manufacturing processes involved.
• Describe your experience with PDM/PLM systems by naming the exact software and how you used it for controlled revisions and bills of materials.
• Mention any work with fuel fabrication or nuclear component manufacturing, even if it was adjacent, because this role requires close coordination with Oklo's fuel fabrication team.
• Include examples of design documentation you have authored, such as design basis documents, product specifications, or calculation packages.
• If you have worked with thermal, structural, or safety analysts, state how you used their results to change a design, not just that you collaborated.

What to cover in your cover letter

['A specific example of a mechanical design you took from concept to final documentation, including how you handled manufacturability feedback.', 'Your direct experience creating design basis documents, specifications, or calculation documents for hardware components.', 'How you have used analysis results from thermal, structural, fatigue, or safety teams to validate or revise a design.', "Why you want to work on fast fission reactor core components and how your background fits Oklo's fuel fabrication workflow."]

Research before applying

• Read Oklo's public materials on their fast fission reactor design and fuel recycling process to understand what core assemblies must withstand.
• Look up Oklo's Aurora reactor or any public technical descriptions of their core and fuel handling systems.
• Research the basics of metallic fuel fabrication and inspection methods, since this role works closely with Oklo's fuel fabrication team.
• Check if Oklo has published any design review or licensing documents that describe their mechanical design process or documentation requirements.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a core assembly or similar component you designed from concept to final drawings. What manufacturability or inspectability changes did you make?
• How do you decide what information belongs in a design basis document versus a product specification or calculation document?
• Describe a time you received analysis results that conflicted with your design intent. How did you interpret the results and what did you change?
• What PDM/PLM systems have you used, and how did you manage revisions and bills of materials for controlled designs?
• How would you approach designing a component that must be both manufacturable by a fuel fabrication team and inspectable after fabrication?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a resume that lists CAD software but does not show any completed design that went to manufacturing or fabrication.
• Claiming experience with nuclear core components without being able to explain specific materials, inspection methods, or manufacturing constraints.
• Writing a cover letter that talks about clean energy in general but does not mention fast fission, fuel fabrication, or core mechanical design.