---
title: 'Lead Nuclear Materials Engineer at Radiant Industries'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-nuclear-materials-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-rywe3pbjw4zp'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-19'
---

# Lead Nuclear Materials Engineer at Radiant Industries

- **Company:** [Radiant Industries](https://feeny.ai/companies/radiant-industries)
- **Location:** El Segundo, CA
- **Compensation:** $141k–$202k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/radiant-industries/b3315e88-a945-467c-a8e8-7c4e5f67f2d7

## Job description

## About Radiant

Radiant is an El Segundo, CA-based startup building the world’s first mass-produced, portable nuclear microreactors. The company’s first reactor, Kaleidos, is a 1-megawatt, fail-safe microreactor that can be transported anywhere power is needed and run for up to 5 years without refueling. Portable nuclear power with rapid-deploy capability can replace similar-sized diesel generators and provide critical asset support for hospitals, data centers, remote sites, and military bases. Radiant’s unique, practical approach to nuclear development leverages modern software engineering to rapidly deliver safe, factory-built microreactors that use existing, well-qualified materials. Founded in 2020, Radiant is on track to test its first reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory this summer, with initial customer deliveries beginning in 2028. Lead Nuclear Materials Engineer

Radiant is seeking a highly motivated Lead Nuclear Materials Engineer to lead Radiant’s nuclear materials team in the development, testing, and qualification of materials and related manufacturing processes used in the Kaleidos 1MWe nuclear microreactor. The ideal candidate is excited to grow an in-house nuclear materials team, is proficient in materials selection, testing, and analysis, takes great ownership of their work end-to-end, and thrives in a highly cross-functional, fast-paced environment. Your team’s ownership spans fuel, moderators, shielding, neutron poisons, and irradiation testing. You will be a key contributor to building the world's first mass-produced, rapidly-deployable nuclear reactor.

## Responsibilities & Duties

- Set the technical direction for the nuclear materials team, including the definition of project scopes, the guidance of day-to-day engineering and support activities, and the development of a nuclear materials roadmap to support future reactor designs and builds
- Deliver materials solutions for fuel, moderator, shielding, and neutron poison designs for Kaleidos
- Accountable for nuclear materials engineering team’s technical output
- Lead and mentor team members technically and professionally
- Communicate project status, issues, and schedules to teammates and executives
- Present to external stakeholders and regulatory bodies (DOE, NRC)
- Review test plans, purchase orders, and analysis
- Provide surge materials engineering support as-needed
- Manage irradiation testing from design of experiment through irradiation to post irradiation examination (PIE)

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.
- 5+ years of experience working in the development, testing, and/or analysis of nuclear materials for demanding load cases and environments
- 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 engineering leadership and management experience at a company building and/or testing hardware for nuclear, aerospace, or other extreme environments
- Expert-level competency in at least one area of nuclear materials such as fuel, neutron poisons, shielding, or moderators
- Experience with development and qualification of material systems for use in high temperature and irradiation environments.
- 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.

## Benefits and Perks

- Stock: Substantial incentive stock plan for all full-time employees.
- Medical: 100% up to base silver level plan for employee + 50% dependents, offers up to Platinum plans.
- One Medical: Sponsored memberships for employees and their dependents.
- Vision: 100% top tier plan coverage + 50% for dependents.
- Dental: 100% top tier plan coverage, orthodontia extra, 50% for dependents.
- Voluntary life, accident, hospital, critical illness, commuter and FSA/HSA are offered as employee contributed benefits.
- 8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees.
- Daily catered lunch. Free snacks and drinks.
- Flexible PTO policy. Remote workday allocation.
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and in-person camaraderie.
- Beautiful El Segundo headquarters close to the Pacific Ocean.

Total Compensation and Benefits Radiant compensates people for impact and invests in those who continue to raise the bar. Radiant’s new hire compensation package includes base salary, substantial equity grants, and comprehensive health benefits. Total compensation and level are determined through a rigorous evaluation of interview performance, experience, education, and qualifications, and are designed to support continued growth as scope, responsibility, and impact expand at Radiant.

The best of today’s advanced reactor builders don’t wait for job postings. They join the winning team. If that’s you, contact us directly for immediate opportunities: recruiting@radiantnuclear.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.

## About Radiant Industries

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Radiant Industries is building the world’s first mass‑produced, portable nuclear microreactor (Kaleidos) to replace diesel generators with zero‑emission, resilient power for remote sites, hospitals, data centers, and military installations.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D – $300M raised in December 2025, led by Lockheed Martin Ventures)
- **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2020 (some sources list 2019)
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Nuclear electric power generation / clean energy
- **Target customers**: B2B – remote communities, hospitals, data centers, military bases, industrial sites that currently rely on diesel generators or unstable grids
- **Mission**: To bring one of the world’s first factory‑constructed microreactors to market, providing portable, zero‑emissions power anywhere, anytime.

## Products & Services
- **[Kaleidos Microreactor](https://www.radiantnuclear.com/)**: A 1 MW electric / 1.9 MW thermal portable nuclear reactor packaged in a shipping container. It uses helium gas cooling and TRISO fuel (meltdown‑proof ceramic uranium particles). Delivered by truck or aircraft, installed without site excavation, and can reach full power the next day. After 5+ years the entire container is returned to the factory for refueling; up to four fuel cycles yield a 20‑year product lifetime. Customers purchase via Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or direct unit sales.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised – **$622.6M** (as of early 2026)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz (led Series B), Lockheed Martin Ventures (led Series D), plus 18+ other investors across Series B, C, and D rounds
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew **141% YoY** to 157 employees (as of mid‑2026)
  - 64 active job postings (+178% YoY)
  - Plans to test its development reactor in **2026** – which would be the first new commercial reactor design to achieve a fueled test in over 50 years
  - Initial customer deployments targeted for **2028**
  - SBIR Phase II awards from the U.S. Air Force for nuclear microreactor installation energy resilience

## Competitive Advantages
- **Portability & speed**: Delivered in a standard shipping container, installed in one day, no on‑site water or excavation needed.
- **Passive safety**: TRISO fuel is meltdown‑proof; the core is cooled by natural convection (air jacket) without pumps.
- **Factory‑built, factory‑refueled**: No nuclear waste or infrastructure left on site after the container is returned.
- **High energy density**: Over 110× the energy density of existing diesel systems.
- **Fleet monitoring**: Hundreds of units can be monitored 24/7 from a centralized control center.

## Strategic Focus
- Complete fueled testing of the Kaleidos prototype in 2026.
- Secure regulatory approvals (special nuclear material license, Part 7 license).
- Scale manufacturing for initial customer deployments beginning in 2028.
- Expand into military, commercial, and humanitarian markets (disaster relief, remote microgrids, backup power).

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & mission**: High‑impact climate tech – directly replacing diesel generators with clean nuclear power. Rated 5.0/5.0 on employer reviews (5 reviews) with strong scores for culture (4.7) and career growth (4.8).
- **Work location**: On‑site in El Segundo, CA (steps from the Pacific Ocean, near downtown). Employees work from a physical office.
- **Perks**: Company equity, relocation assistance, free daily meals, commuter benefits, onsite parking, generous parental leave, family medical leave, onsite Mother’s Room, dental/health insurance, FSA.
- **Diversity & inclusion**: Mandated unconscious bias training; hiring practices that promote diversity.
- **Tech stack**: React, TypeScript, Python, C++, C#, Kubernetes, Docker, PostgreSQL, AWS, Ansys, SolidWorks, Altium, and more. Engineers work on cutting‑edge nuclear, mechanical, and embedded systems.
- **Growth trajectory**: 141% headcount growth in the past year; 64 open roles across engineering, regulatory, supply chain, and operations.

## Sources
1. [radiantnuclear.com](https://www.radiantnuclear.com/) – Product details, specs, deployment model
2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/radiant) – Company overview, perks, culture, tech stack, reviews
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/r-a-d-i-a-n-t) – Funding, headcount, employee growth, locations, key executives
4. [sbir.gov](https://www.sbir.gov/portfolio/1655711) – SBIR awards, Phase II contracts with U.S. Air Force
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/radiant-industries) – Current open positions (64+)

## Other roles at Radiant Industries

- [Senior Accounting Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-accounting-manager-radiant-industries-el-segundo-eday9tdtfxqg) — El Segundo, CA
- [ERP Solutions Engineer, Finance](https://feeny.ai/job/erp-solutions-engineer-finance-radiant-industries-el-segundo-93j5je900tp5) — El Segundo, CA
- [Senior Safety Analysis Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-safety-analysis-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-ke71y76kzdt1) — El Segundo, CA
- [Senior Reactor Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-reactor-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-d13thtevcfas) — El Segundo, CA
- [Staff Fluid Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-fluid-systems-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-prfjj3t56xs3) — El Segundo, CA
- [Senior Fluid Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-fluid-systems-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-cqr7vaf7vv7y) — El Segundo, CA
- [Mechanisms Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanisms-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-k6b336c99d6n) — El Segundo, CA
- [T&E Accounting Specialist (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/t-e-accounting-specialist-contract-radiant-industries-el-segundo-tchtydkq5j9z) — El Segundo, CA
- [Executive Assistant & Office Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-office-coordinator-radiant-industries-washington-587stxsr4v2m) — Washington, DC
- [Reactor Operations Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/reactor-operations-engineer-radiant-industries-el-segundo-bqdf0nbd2byh) — El Segundo, CA