How to apply for Piping Designer / Drafter - Fuel Recycling

About Oklo

Oklo is a nuclear technology company focused on next-generation fast fission technology and recycling nuclear waste. Its stated mission is to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy. The fuel recycling work is part of building a first-of-a-kind facility, so designers here create documentation for systems that do not yet have standard reference designs.

About the role

This role produces and maintains the engineering drawings that define Oklo's first-of-a-kind nuclear fuel recycling facility. You will create and maintain P&IDs, piping layouts, equipment arrangement drawings, and fabrication drawings using AutoCAD or AutoCAD Plant3D. The drawings support design reviews, procurement, fabrication, construction, commissioning, and licensing, so accuracy and document control matter.

A typical day

You would spend most of your time in AutoCAD or AutoCAD Plant3D developing and revising P&IDs, piping layouts, and arrangement drawings for the fuel recycling facility. You would coordinate with process, mechanical, electrical, controls, and systems engineers to resolve inconsistencies and keep drawing packages current. Ask in the interview how the team organizes drawing reviews, revision control, and handoffs to procurement and construction.

Who Oklo is looking for

• Proficient in AutoCAD and/or AutoCAD Plant3D for P&ID and piping layout production.
• Has produced P&IDs, piping layouts, equipment arrangement drawings, isometrics, and general arrangement drawings for process facilities.
• Comfortable coordinating with process, mechanical, electrical, controls, and systems engineers and cross-checking drawing consistency across disciplines.
• Organized about drawing packages, revision control, and controlled engineering documentation.
• Able to work remotely in the US and communicate clearly in writing, since coordination happens across disciplines and locations.

Tips for this application

• Show P&ID samples or describe specific P&IDs you produced, including the software used (AutoCAD, AutoCAD Plant3D, or equivalent).
• List process facility projects you have drafted for, and name the drawing types: piping layouts, equipment arrangements, isometrics, general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings.
• Describe how you handle revisions and document control, since the role mentions maintaining controlled engineering drawings for licensing and construction.
• Mention any experience coordinating across disciplines (process, mechanical, electrical, controls, systems) and give an example of catching an inconsistency between drawings.
• If you have nuclear, fuel recycling, or other regulated industrial experience, state it directly. If not, describe comparable process facility work.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your hands-on CAD production of P&IDs and piping drawings for process facilities. Name the software you use and the drawing types you have owned. Describe a time you found and resolved inconsistencies across disciplines or drawing sets. Explain why you want to work on a first-of-a-kind nuclear fuel recycling facility and how you keep drawing packages clean and organized.

Research before applying

• Read Oklo's public materials on its fast fission technology and nuclear waste recycling to understand what the fuel recycling facility does.
• Look up what a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) nuclear facility means for design documentation and why drawings are needed for licensing.
• Check what AutoCAD Plant3D supports for P&IDs, piping layouts, and isometrics so you can speak to your workflow.
• Find out whether Oklo has published anything about the fuel recycling facility's status, partners, or regulatory path.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through how you build a P&ID from a process engineer's concept, including symbols, line numbering, and revision tracking.
• Which CAD tools do you use for piping layout and isometrics, and how do you set up a drawing package for a new facility?
• How do you check drawings for consistency across process, mechanical, electrical, and controls disciplines?
• Describe your experience with document control and revision management for drawings used in fabrication, construction, or licensing.
• What questions do you have about the fuel recycling facility's scope and how drawings will support design reviews, procurement, and commissioning?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a resume that lists CAD software but does not name the drawing types you produced (P&IDs, piping layouts, isometrics, arrangement drawings).
• Ignoring the document control and licensing angle. This role maintains controlled drawings, not just one-off designs.
• Applying without any process facility drafting examples or without explaining how you coordinate with other engineering disciplines.