--- title: 'Fuel Lifecycle Lead at BlueCore Energy' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/fuel-lifecycle-lead-bluecore-energy-long-beach-83fztgvwaggf' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Fuel Lifecycle Lead at BlueCore Energy - **Company:** BlueCore Energy - **Location:** Long Beach - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/bluecore-energy/2c05ed3c-b333-4a3e-a51d-513eb685add7 ## Job description Our Mission Is Simple: Democratize Access To Clean Energy Welcome to BlueCore Energy! We are on a relentless mission to democratize access to clean energy. By designing and building advanced floating Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) on barges right here in Long Beach, CA, we are bringing scalable, clean, and reliable power to the world. Joining our team means getting in on the ground floor of a revolution in marine small modular reactors (SMRs). If you are passionate, driven, and ready to tackle some of the most exciting challenges of our time, we want you on our team! ## Our Values Humility — We hold strong opinions loosely, say "I don't know," ask for help early, and let the best idea win regardless of who it came from. Inclusivity — The best engineering comes from many perspectives. We build a team where everyone is heard, and we mean it. Pragmatism — We solve the real problem in front of us, reuse what already works, and value a tested answer over an elegant one. ## About the Role The Fuel Lifecycle Lead will build and manage the nuclear fuel program for Nautilus, BlueCore’s flagship floating nuclear power plant, from procurement through final disposition. Sitting within the Certification Department, this role is equal parts project manager, licensing contributor, and operations planner. You will manage the contracts and logistics that bring fuel to the reactor, the procedures and equipment that handle it on site, the regulatory submittals that authorize every step, and the long-term planning for storage and ultimate disposal. For a barge-mounted PWR operating at a working port, you will solve challenges unprecedented in commercial nuclear energy: fuel receipt at a marine facility, refueling operations on a floating platform, and spent fuel storage and transport under overlapping NRC, DOE, USCG, DOT, and port authority requirements. Beyond Nautilus, you will lay the groundwork for fleet-wide fuel receiving, handling, storage, and disposal across commercial ports globally. This means building relationships with port authorities, developing floating fuel-handling infrastructure standards, and working with regulators to establish new regulatory precedents. In any given month, your work will cross procurement, reactor engineering, operations, licensing, transport logistics, and maritime safety. ## Responsibilities Own the fuel handling program from receipt through disposition, including new fuel inspection, core loading, refueling outage planning and execution, spent fuel pool operations, and dry cask storage. Develop fuel handling procedures and coordinate with the reactor engineering team on core design, fuel management strategy, and reload analysis for each operating cycle. Author and support fuel-related sections of the DOE safety basis (DSA, TSRs) and NRC license application (FSAR Chapters 4, 9, and applicable portions of Chapters 11 and 15), including fuel handling accident analysis, spent fuel pool cooling, criticality safety, and radioactive waste management. Lead the licensing effort for fuel transportation, including 10 CFR Part 71 shipping cask certification, route approvals, and coordination with DOT, USCG, and NRC for marine transport of fresh and spent fuel. Plan and execute refueling outages, coordinating cross-functionally across operations, maintenance, engineering, and contractors to ensure safe, on-schedule execution. Develop the spent fuel management strategy for a barge-based facility, including interim storage, ISFSI licensing under 10 CFR Part 72 (if applicable), and long-term planning for DOE spent fuel acceptance. Navigate the regulatory intersections between NRC, DOE, USCG, ABS, DOT, and the Port of Long Beach for fuel receipt, handling, storage, and transport. Build strategic relationships with port authorities and fuel service providers to establish the logistics, infrastructure, and regulatory agreements needed for commercial port fueling operations. Coordinate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, licensing, training, and executive leadership to ensure fuel handling requirements are embedded into plant design, operating procedures, and safety submittals from day one. Travel to fuel fabrication facilities, NRC headquarters, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and other vendor sites for technical coordination and regulatory engagement. Required Qualifications & Skills Deep experience in nuclear fuel management, fuel handling operations, or fuel cycle project management at a commercial nuclear power plant or fuel vendor. Working knowledge of PWR fuel design, core loading, and refueling outage planning/execution. Familiarity with the governing regulatory framework for nuclear fuel: 10 CFR Part 50/52/53, 10 CFR Part 70, 10 CFR Part 71, 10 CFR Part 72, and applicable FSAR chapters/Technical Specifications. Strong project management capability, with a track record of simultaneously managing vendor contracts, outage schedules, shipping logistics, and regulatory submittals. Excellent technical writing ability with experience authoring regulatory-grade safety analysis documents for federal review. Ability to travel to vendor facilities, NRC headquarters, Idaho National Laboratory, and port locations as required. Desired Qualifications & Skills Direct commercial nuclear fuel experience. Active SRO license. Working at BlueCore Energy On-Site Requirement: Our team works together at our Long Beach facility, right next to our barge. Highly Cross-Functional: Startups move fast! You must possess the ability to seamlessly collaborate across multiple teams to rapidly solve problems and keep production moving. Physical & Machinery Requirements: Because we are a hands-on startup, this role may require the ability to perform physical labor, navigate active construction/manufacturing zones, and/or operate heavy machinery and specialized manufacturing equipment as needed. ## About BlueCore Energy ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: BlueCore Energy develops small modular water-cooled nuclear reactors on floating barges to deliver zero-emission power to ports, cities, and critical infrastructure. - **Entity Type**: Private (Pre-Seed) - **Headquarters**: Long Beach, California, USA - **Founded**: 2026 - **Founders**: Kofi Asante ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Nuclear energy, maritime energy, small modular reactors (SMRs) - **Target customers**: B2B – ports, utilities, data centers, offshore infrastructure, communities facing energy constraints - **Mission**: To bring floating nuclear power to the ports and infrastructure that move the world, and eventually to the ships that connect them. ## Products & Services - **Floating Nuclear Barge (10 MWe)**: A compact, water-cooled reactor mounted on a barge that can be moored at a port, connected to the grid via subsea cables, and refueled only once every few years. Designed to power the equivalent of ~15,000 homes or scale to meet a major port’s energy needs. Multiple units can be paired for larger capacity. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding – $10M (pre-seed, oversubscribed, July 2026) - **Notable Investors / Partners**: Slauson & Co. (lead investor in pre-seed round) - **Growth Signals**: - Emerged from stealth in July 2026 with a physical barge and test reactor already delivered to its headquarters at the Port of Long Beach – the first SMR company to establish a headquarters inside a major U.S. port. - Team drawn from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Toyota, Uber, and U.S. Navy nuclear submarine program. - Actively working on engineering, regulatory (NRC), classification, and commercialization pathways. ## Competitive Advantages - **Location & Physical Execution**: First SMR company to have a base inside a major U.S. port (Port of Long Beach), enabling direct integration with maritime infrastructure. - **Team Expertise**: Deep-tech and nuclear pedigree – founders and leads have launched autonomous aircraft, electric tugboats, and SpaceX vehicles; naval nuclear officers bring real-world reactor operations experience. - **Design Philosophy**: Safety built on defense-in-depth, five barriers, water-based cooling, and passive systems – leveraging 70+ years of proven light-water reactor technology. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Deploy the first floating reactor, secure regulatory approvals, advance component testing (hardware + digital twin), and build a production line for rapid deployment. - **Long-term vision**: Scale from port-side power generation to cargo ship propulsion, creating a new clean-energy backbone for the maritime economy. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Early-stage startup moving at “hard-tech” speed – physically building at a working port, combining hardware and software development. - **Work policy**: On-site, full-time roles at the Port of Long Beach (as of current job listings). - **Notable perks / engineering culture**: Opportunity to work on nuclear energy systems from day one alongside veterans of SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the U.S. Navy. Roles span electrical, thermal-hydraulics, controls, chemistry, and quality – with a focus on real-world hardware and regulatory safety. ## Sources 1. [bluecore.energy](https://www.bluecore.energy/) 2. [bluecore.energy (team)](https://www.bluecore.energy/team) 3. [bluecore.energy (stealth launch)](https://www.bluecore.energy/post/bluecore-energy-emerges-from-stealth) 4. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/this-uber-alumn-just-raised-a-10m-pre-seed-to-build-portable-nuclear-enegry/) 5. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/bluecore-energy) ## Other roles at BlueCore Energy - [General Application](https://feeny.ai/job/general-application-bluecore-energy-long-beach-ztdma72g9qnw) — Long Beach - [Chemistry and Radiological Controls Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/chemistry-and-radiological-controls-lead-bluecore-energy-long-beach-z34fxtmzwr0p) — Long Beach - [Reactor Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/reactor-operations-lead-bluecore-energy-long-beach-2sc44fat2keg) — Long Beach - [Principal Thermal-Hydraulics & Safety Analysis Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-thermal-hydraulics-safety-analysis-engineer-bluecore-energy-long-beach-rxb70v4aw15h) — Long Beach - [Lead Reactor Physics & Shielding Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-reactor-physics-shielding-engineer-bluecore-energy-long-beach-w3z07n2hzpce) — Long Beach - [Supply Chain Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-lead-bluecore-energy-long-beach-34r1fwnjqc38) — Long Beach - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-bluecore-energy-long-beach-xrtry97tw8rm) — Long Beach - [Senior Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-bluecore-energy-long-beach-vwf74tr5z8cm) — Long Beach