The ocean is the largest undeveloped frontier on earth — and the next chapter of abundant energy will be written at sea. We're building the infrastructure to power it.
About Ocean Atomics (OA)
Ocean Atomics is an American company designing, licensing, and assembling a standardized nuclear electric power plant and the surrounding support systems for maritime applications. We will install these plants on any vessel built to our nuclear-ready standards, and will provide end-to-end sustainment in our planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. We will help develop the licensed operators to unlock this new capability for your energy intensive application at sea. To move fast and to lead the creation of this new market, we are leveraging the compact, proven systems enabled by water-cooled reactors.
Our mission
Scale nuclear energy. Power generations.
Our vision
A maritime commons thriving with abundant, economical, modern, and safe nuclear-powered activity — built, serviced, and staffed by re-industrialized American shipyards and people.
Role Summary
As Auxiliary and Distribution System Lead, you lead the engineering of the internal fluid networks, electrical distribution, and auxiliary systems for the vessels that carry Ocean Atomics' nuclear electric plant: the cooling loops, switchgear, piping runs, and containment isolation networks that ready the platform side for plant integration. You define how those systems carry power, coolant, and control across the vessel, from initial concept through class and flag-state approval, working with naval architecture, marine engineering, and our nuclear integration team. The interface boundaries you set are where the plant's auxiliary connections integrate cleanly, without a mid-cycle redesign — the connective work that lets our plant scale from the first vessels to a repeatable build.
The ideal candidate treats interface discipline as the thing that makes downstream integration boring in the best way, and would rather resolve a routing conflict on paper now than discover it in the shipyard later.
What You'll Do
Lead the engineering, routing, and optimization of the platform's internal fluid networks, piping configurations, and auxiliary distribution systems from initial layout through deployment.
Design the high-capacity cooling loops, electrical switchgear, and containment isolation networks so they're built for plant integration from the start, not retrofitted.
Model electrical load profiles so auxiliary systems hold stable across both conventional transit and active power-generation modes.
Establish the mechanical and structural interface boundaries that let conventional ship networks accept reactor auxiliary inputs without a mid-cycle redesign.
Develop modular, reproducible auxiliary configurations that reduce shipyard fabrication complexity and minimize spatial routing conflicts.
Generate the piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), fluid-flow calculations, and technical data packages that clear classification society (ABS, LR, etc.) and flag state (USCG, etc.) reviews, coordinating with our nuclear integration team on reactor-side interfaces.
What You Bring
Required
Bachelor's or advanced degree in Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
Track record leading system-level auxiliary, fluid-network, or distribution design from concept through deployment. Typically built over 8+ years of focused work in marine auxiliary systems, complex fluid-network design, or mechanical distribution architecture across commercial ships, naval vessels, or heavy offshore platforms. Depth of experience, design cycles, and successful leadership of major distribution projects is valued above years of experience.
Working command of marine piping and thermal-management engineering, switchgear integration, and fluid-analysis tools, grounded in classification society machinery rules (ABS, LR, etc.) and flag state regulatory processes.
Preferred
Experience with highly regulated vessel classes or systems requiring nuclear or high-hazard integration.
Background in modular ship design or repeatable fabrication processes.
Cross-functional experience partnering with naval architecture, marine engineering, and plant integration teams on integrated designs.
Don't meet every bullet? We'd still like to hear from you. If you're excited by the mission and most of this resonates, apply.
Export control notice
This position involves access to information subject to U.S. export control laws (ITAR and/or EAR). Any offer is contingent on your ability to work in compliance with these laws, and Ocean Atomics LLC may apply for U.S. government authorization where needed. We evaluate all applicants regardless of citizenship or national origin, except where required by law.
Why this matters
Every industry on Earth needs scalable, clean energy, and the ocean is the ideal place to unlock it. Joining Ocean Atomics means building real, lasting infrastructure — the kind that powers generations. The world needs abundant energy. Let's make it happen.
Ocean Atomics LLC is an equal opportunity employer.
We are committed to a workplace free of discrimination and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations; if you need an accommodation during the application process, contact [email protected].