Space Nuclear Systems Engineer

Job Brief:
Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. (AMA) is seeking a Space Nuclear Systems Engineer for our Denver, CO or Huntsville, AL location. Possibility for hybrid or remote work.

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. (AMA) is a small business specializing in aerospace engineering, science and business analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. Headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Huntsville, AL;
Dallas and Houston, TX;
Denver, CO;
Mountain View, and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, 401(k)-matching, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability, and a variety of medical, dental and vision insurance options.

AMA is accepting applications for a motivated engineer to perform cutting edge analyses within AMA’s Advanced Projects group at the Huntsville, AL or Denver, CO locations. The desired candidate will possess a graduate degree in Nuclear Engineering and/or professional research experience related to advanced reactor design and development. Primary work responsibilities will focus on supporting multidisciplinary engineering analyses of novel nuclear reactor designs for fission surface power (FSP), nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) systems in support of NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) project.

In addition to completing the application on our website, candidates selected for an interview will be required to provide two or more references.

The compensation for this position is expected to be between $80k – $120k and is commensurate with experience and education.

• Assist ongoing AMA analyses by performing neutronic, thermal hydraulic, fuel performance, engine cycle, or mechanical analyses of candidate nuclear propulsion system concepts:
  • Evaluate the parametric design space through assessment of system‑level performance and any technical or programmatic risks
  • Independently develop and implement models to perform sensitivities related to candidate engine concept designs
  • Perform steady state and transient analyses to inform overall system performance and possible test objectives for an NTP or NEP demonstration
  • Communicate technical data to a multidisciplinary team of engineers and project managers via presentations and technical report writing
• Support the ongoing assessment of the radiation environment and dose mitigation strategies for ground testing as well as in‑space operation
• Support relevant analyses and trades to determine required technology maturation of reactor components and facilities development for space reactor systems
• Perform literature review and documentation to assist in ongoing space reactor system development and programmatic planning efforts
• Publish reports, papers, and articles on findings

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or another related field. An advanced degree is desired but not required
• A minimum of 2 years of research or related work experience in nuclear systems, engine cycle power balancing, space mission analysis, or modeling and simulation
• Experience in computational finite element, fuel performance, reactor physics, radiation physics, thermal hydraulic, and/or numeric analyses of novel fuel and reactor designs. Familiarity with common reactor design and fuel performance metrics
• Strong skills in MATLAB, Python, and/or C++
• Technical writing experience and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a diverse multi‑disciplinary team / audience. Ability to independently communicate with and interface with government customers or stakeholders
• U.S. Citizenship or U.S. Permanent Residency

• A graduate‑level degree in Nuclear Engineering with academic research and/or 0 – 7 years of relevant professional work experience
• Previous exposure to or direct research related to advanced nuclear reactor systems for both in‑space applications (e.g., FSP, NTP, NEP, etc.) and terrestrial power generation
• Experience working with NASA, DOE, DOD,…