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Kairos Power

Sr. Process Design Engineer - Inert Gas System

Become a Senior Process Design Engineer at Kairos Power in Albuquerque or Oak Ridge. Lead the design of Inert Gas Systems for advanced nuclear reactors, ensuring safety and performance. Enjoy competitive compensation, medical benefits, and a collaborative work environment.
Kairos Power
Kairos Power
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States On-site Full time USD 118k–139k yearly UTC-07:00 — UTC-06:00

Kairos Power

Company Overview

Kairos Power, LLC

Alameda, California, United States

2016

Approximately 300 employees (source: climatebase.org).

What They Do

Kairos Power is a pioneering American nuclear energy company that specializes in developing advanced nuclear reactor technology, specifically the fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). This innovative reactor design utilizes TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) coated particle fuel in a buoyant annular graphite pebble form, combined with low-pressure Flibe (Li2BeF4 lithium-beryllium-fluoride salt) coolant. This technology allows for online refueling without the need for reactor shutdowns, high-temperature operations that exceed conventional fuel capabilities, and a secondary solar salt loop for steam generation, making it compatible with modern commercial power plants (source: kairospower.com). The company aims to provide cost-competitive energy solutions that feature high availability, low maintenance, and near-zero carbon emissions, positioning its reactors as a complementary energy source alongside variable renewables for enhanced grid resiliency (source: wikipedia.org). Target markets include U.S. electricity generation and process heat applications, particularly for data centers powering artificial intelligence, with plans for initial commercial offerings following successful demonstrations in the early 2030s (source: kairospower.com).

Projects & Track Record

While Kairos Power has not yet completed any full-scale commercial projects, it has made significant strides in testing and demonstration initiatives. The company has operated the RAPID Lab (R-Lab) in Alameda since September 2018, focusing on surrogate fluid and high-temperature materials testing. Additionally, the commissioning of the Salt Lab (S-Lab) in July 2020 has facilitated evaluations of Flibe coolant, while the Pebble Development Lab at KP Southwest was completed in May 2021. The Engineering Test Unit (ETU) has also made progress with hot commissioning starting in August 2022 (source: kairospower.consultation.ai). The flagship project currently underway is the Hermes low-power demonstration FHR reactor, which has a thermal capacity of 35 MW and is being developed in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Initial geotechnical work at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee site commenced in August 2021, and the NRC construction permit application was accepted for review in November 2021, with full construction permit approval achieved in December 2023 (source: wikipedia.org).

Recent Developments

In the past two years, Kairos Power has secured significant regulatory approvals, including the NRC site construction approval for the Hermes reactor in Tennessee in 2023, marking a historic milestone as the first such permit granted in 50 years for a non-water-cooled reactor. The full construction permit was also approved in December 2023, following extensive pre-application engagement that began in October 2018 (source: wikipedia.org). A major highlight for 2024 is the agreement with Google to deploy six to seven small nuclear reactors to power AI data centers, with the first unit expected to be operational by 2030 (source: wikipedia.org). Additionally, the ongoing partnership with the Department of Energy, which includes a $629 million cost-sharing award for the Hermes project, continues to support the company's development and licensing efforts (source: kairospower.consultation.ai).

Working There

Kairos Power actively hires across various engineering disciplines, including reactor and salt system design, analysis, testing, licensing, and manufacturing roles such as machining, welding, and fabrication. The company fosters a collaborative and hands-on work environment that emphasizes innovation and mission-driven objectives, with a culture that values diversity and inclusivity (source: kairospower.com). Active recruitment is ongoing at their headquarters in Alameda, California, as well as at their facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which include manufacturing and testing labs (source: kairospower.consultation.ai). The company places a strong emphasis on mission statement reviews at the start of meetings to ensure alignment with their goal of facilitating the clean energy transition, and they attract talent passionate about making a significant impact in the world (source: kairospower.com). Specific employee benefits are not extensively detailed in public sources, but the company promotes a high-performance work environment that supports innovation (source: kairospower.com).


Last updated on Feb 23, 2026 | Report an issue

Responsibilities

  • Lead design and integration of Inert Gas System (IGS) processes and components for an advanced reactor, ensuring safety, performance, and regulatory alignment.
  • Define technical basis for IGS designs that enable high-purity gas operations and effective removal of chemical and radioactive impurities, encompassing process architecture, component selection, and operating strategies.
  • Develop and maintain key system documentation such as P&IDs, process control narratives, and design specifications.
  • Define and execute testing commissioning and acceptance plans to verify performance, reliability, and maintainability of critical hardware.
  • Collaborate across disciplines-Plant Design, Process Design, I&C, Operations, and Safety-to ensure seamless integration of IGS with interfacing systems.
  • Select and qualify materials, instrumentation, and components for use in radioactive gas and high-temperature environments.
  • Support hazard analyses, FMEA, and licensing efforts to ensure robust safety and regulatory compliance.
  • Work with vendors and suppliers to specify and evaluate nuclear-grade gas handling and tritium management equipment.
  • Provide technical mentorship and leadership to engineers developing next-generation gas and process systems.

Qualifications

  • B.S. (or higher) in Nuclear, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering.
  • 7+ years of relevant industry experience in nuclear, molten salt, refining, chemical, power generation process design engineering or similar applicable industry.
  • Demonstrated experience designing, delivering, and commissioning high-purity gas systems skids or other containment-critical chemical processes.
  • Proficient in interpreting Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and process equipment datasheets.
  • Experience with HazOp, FMEA, and safety-by-design principles for nuclear or high-risk systems.
  • Familiarity with codes and standards applicable to nuclear systems (ASME, API, NRC, IAEA).
  • Experience using process modeling tools (Aspen Plus, AFT Fathom/Arrow, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • Ability to work with highly collaborative team with excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrated capacity for autonomous problem-solving.
  • Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
  • Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others.
  • Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge.
  • Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues.
  • Experience in a nuclear material, radiological processing, of radioactive gas handling systems facility is preferred but not required.
  • Prior experience in nuclear or high-temperature chemical systems preferred.
  • Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary engineering environment and drive design to completion.

Apply now

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About the role

December 1, 2025

Full time

Company

March 14, 2026

On-site

USD 118k–139k yearly

Hydropower

Kairos Power

kairospower.com

  •  Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
  •  Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States

7+ years

UTC-07:00 — UTC-06:00