Simulator Engineer

TerraPower•Kemmerer, WY

8d•$141,385 - $212,079

About The Position

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits. TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The Simulator Engineer will play a critical role in the design, development, integration, and sustainment of a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) fast sodium reactor (FSR) training simulator within our training organization. This role ensures that the simulator accurately reflects plant dynamics, control logic, and thermophysical behavior unique to fast sodium reactor technology. You will work with multiple programming languages (FORTRAN, C++, Python) and real-time simulation platforms (3 Key Master, RTime, RTP) to support operator training, engineering support, and scenario development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline OR relevant work experience.
Minimum 3–5 years of experience in training simulator engineering, real-time simulation, or plant system modeling—preferably in a nuclear or heavily regulated environment.
Proficiency in FORTRAN, C++, and Python programming languages.
Experience working with real-time simulation platforms (RTime and/or RTP).
Familiarity with 3 Key Master or equivalent configuration management/version control environments.
Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and documentation skills.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience supporting nuclear simulator development for advanced reactor technologies (fast reactors, sodium-cooled systems) or first-of-a-kind plants.
Understanding of fast reactor physics, liquid-metal thermal/hydraulics, sodium coolant system behavior, or similar advanced reactor technologies.
Knowledge of ANSI/ANS-3.5 simulator standards, NRC licensing processes (10 CFR 50/52), INPO simulator accreditation, or nuclear QA (NQA-1).
Experience in the training organization of a nuclear power plant or working with digital I&C integration, human-system interface (HSI) validation, or plant commissioning.
Eligibility for U.S. government export-controlled work (e.g., U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, Permanent Resident) due to TerraPower’s controlled technology status.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and enhance dynamic models of reactor systems, including primary sodium coolant loops, intermediate circuits, decay heat removal systems, and associated instrumentation & control (I&C) logic using FORTRAN, C++, and Python.
Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot real-time simulation platforms (RTime and RTP), and support integration with control room hardware, digital I&C, and interface systems.
Employ 33 Key Master tools for model version control, configuration management, performance benchmarking, and change tracking.
Collaborate with reactor design engineers, I&C engineers, training specialists, and human factors experts to ensure simulator fidelity across normal operations, transients, and off-normal conditions.
Participate in simulator upgrade or replacement projects, including rehosting, model enhancements, digital I&C adaptation, and improved visualization.
Perform acceptance testing, validation, debugging, and model verification to ensure simulator behavior aligns with plant calculations, design basis events, and training needs.
Support training sessions by diagnosing simulator issues, implementing corrective model actions, and minimizing downtime during training.
Produce and maintain detailed engineering documentation, model descriptions, test records, and change logs in compliance with nuclear quality assurance (QA) standards and configuration control processes.
Align simulator development with applicable standards such as ANSI/ANS-3.5, NRC licensing requirements (10 CFR 55), and INPO accreditation.