Materials Engineer, Hydrides

  • Radiant Nuclear
  • El Segundo, California
  • Full Time

Materials Engineer

Radiant is seeking a highly motivated Materials Engineer to own development, testing, and qualification of in-core materials and related manufacturing processes (hydriding, welding, brazing, coatings, etc.) used in the Kaleidos 1MW nuclear microreactor. The ideal candidate takes great ownership of their work end-to-end, is proficient in materials selection, testing, and analysis, and is excited to work in a highly cross-functional, fast-paced environment. You will be a key contributor to building the world's first mass-produced, rapidly-deployable nuclear reactor.

Responsibilities & Duties

  • End-to-end ownership of metal hydrides for Kaleidos and additional nuclear applications.
  • Plan and execute materials testing to obtain material properties to inform design decisions.
  • Develop and qualify application-specific manufacturing processes such as hydriding, welding, brazing, coating, etc.
  • Provide expert guidance in materials selection for components within Kaleidos.
  • Identify, procure, and operate equipment for materials characterization and testing.
  • Evaluate data quality and accuracy of material property data for use in company materials database.
  • Define or improve manufacturing processes of components to achieve desired material properties.

Required Qualifications & Skills

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Materials Science and Engineering, or in Mechanical, Aeronautical, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering with a materials science and engineering focus.
  • Hands-on experimental or testing experience in laboratory or production environments

Desired Qualifications & Skills

  • Master's or PhD degree from an accredited institution in Materials Science and Engineering, or in Mechanical, Aeronautical, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering with a materials science and engineering focus.
  • 2+ years of experience working in the development, testing, and/or analysis of materials for demanding load cases and environments
  • Experience with development and qualification of solid-state processing of materials, such as hydriding, or solidification processes, such as welding, brazing, and soldering.
  • Experience with development and qualification of metal and nonmetal coatings
  • Experience with hermetic seals at elevated temperatures
  • Knowledge of standard test methods for materials and experience with development of design allowables.
  • Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with design and operations teams to deliver high-value results.
  • Experience with using text-based software development tools (Python or similar).

Additional Requirements

  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to accomplish our mission.
  • Must work 100% onsite at El Segundo HQ.
Job ID: 490342520
Originally Posted on: 8/22/2025

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