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Senior thermal-hydraulics engineer

Thorizon

Lyon, Amsterdam
Full-time
5-10 years experience
On-site

Key Skills

Thermal-hydraulics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
OpenFOAM
STAR-CCM+
Fluent
System codes
CATHARE
TRACE
ATHLET
Nuclear engineering
Numerical methods
Multiphysics coupling
Programming
Reactor design
Safety studies
Project management

Job Description

Your mission

Are you motivated to apply your expertise and know-how to the ongoing design studies for the Thorizon One reactor? Are you passionate about designing cutting-edge thermal-hydraulics systems and solving complex engineering challenges? Do you get energized by innovation, and transforming ideas into tangible solutions? 

You will be a major contributor of the thermal-hydraulics expertise center, whose primary missions are, on the one hand, to provide comprehensive support and expertise in this area to the system design teams in charge of the reactor design and safety studies and, on the other hand, to define, execute, and adapt where needed the validation program combining experiments, tests, prototyping, either carried out on our own or through shared initiatives, designed to ultimately prove that the innovations in our solution are feasible within the performance, cost, and time constraints of our project. 

Within this general framework, you will develop thermal-hydraulics methods and tools, possibly in collaboration with external thermal-hydraulics specialists, perform high quality studies with the appropriate computational tools, and validate the computational tools.  

In your role, you can carry out an analysis to meet any thermal-hydraulics needs for Thorizon projects (non-nuclear Pilot design, Pioneer nuclear demonstrator design, FOAK/NOAK design), including budget, planning, tools selection, calculations, report issuance. You interact easily with other areas of expertise (such as nuclear safety, neutronics, chemistry and mechanics). 

Your level of expertise allows you to prioritize based on the importance of the needs, and as an expert, you have the power to recommend any necessary actions for the project related to your area of expertise. 

Furthermore, you participate in external networks, including international initiatives, to stay at the forefront of industry developments.  

In this environment, you get the unique opportunity to put your knowledge to the best use, develop your ideas, and explore various aspects of thermal-hydraulics engineering. 

This role is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands or in Lyon, France.

In this role you will:

  • Perform high quality thermal-hydraulics studies applying appropriate Computational Tools. 
  • Provide comprehensive support and expertise in thermal-hydraulics to the system design teams, including FOAK/NOAK, Pioneer nuclear demonstrator, as well as non-nuclear Pilot.  
  • Contribute to the definition, execution, and adaptation where needed of the validation program combining experiments, tests, prototyping, designed to ultimately prove that the innovations in our solution are feasible within the performance, cost, and time constraints of our project. This program includes the validation of the thermal-hydraulics Computational Tools to be used for design and safety, applying national (e.g., ASNR guide 28) or international (IAEA in particular) approaches. 
  • Guide junior colleagues in the same discipline and share your knowledge and good practices with your teammates. 
  • Participate in meetings with regulators with the aim of defending in-house positions and contribute to maintaining an active dialogue with regulators (in particular ANVS, ASNR and FANC). 
  • Participate in specifying, selecting, and managing external contractors and suppliers that support the project. 
  • Be involved in various international initiatives (IAEA, Euratom…) dedicated to thermal-hydraulics discipline applied to nuclear projects. 
  • Stay updated on industry trends and advancements in approaches, methodologies, Computational Tools in thermal-hydraulics. 
  • Report to the Thermal-Hydraulics lead and work in different project teams.


About you:

  • You have a master's degree and proven experience in thermal-hydraulics engineering (8 years). 
  • PhD in nuclear engineering, fluid mechanics, heat transfer or numerical method development is a plus. 
  • Experience with system engineering approaches is a plus. 
  • You master CFD techniques (RANS, LES, DES…) and CFD tools like OpenFOAM, STAR-CCM+, or Fluent. 
  • You master thermal-hydraulics system codes like SPECTRA, CATHARE, TRACE, or ATHLET. 
  • You have a firm understanding of numerical methods and modelling approaches, and you use your expert judgement to select the most suitable tool for a given application. 
  • You can create complex computational schemes involving multiscale and/or multiphysics coupling. 
  • You have knowledge in programming to pre-process data, post-process results, and transfer data from one computational tool to another. 
  • You know the MSR specificities related to thermal-hydraulics. 
  • You have a nuclear background, you know the main thermal-hydraulics transients of a nuclear reactor, and the coupling between thermal-hydraulics and neutronics. 
  • You have a good knowledge of national or international (IAEA, NRC, ASNR or other) standards on scientific computing tool qualification. 
  • You have experience in projects including thermal-hydraulics systems and components (heat exchanger, pump…) design. 
  • You have strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with drive for quality and accuracy. 
  • You get inspired by an organisation with a large variety of people, with different experiences and background. 
  • You are eager to learn and like challenges. 
  • You are creative and innovative: You rethink issues to find practical solutions to difficult problems, and you demonstrate agility by minimizing complexity. You have a pragmatic and constructive mindset. 
  • You have a good sense of judgement: you think strategically (in your field and taking into account all the dimensions of the project), and you know how to prioritise your actions according to the key issues at stake. 
  • You have excellent communication skills: you listen before you react, you are concise, you treat people with respect, you keep calm in stressful situations, you have excellent writing skills. 
  • You are an excellent communicator in English, and preferably also French or Dutch, both spoken and written.  
  • You create impact: your productions are models for your colleagues.


About us

Thorizon is a European deep tech scale up developing a new generation of small modular molten salt reactors to power the AI and industrial age with abundant, clean and affordable energy. With offices in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Lyon, we are developing a reactor that combines inherent safety, high temperature industrial heat and competitive electricity generation. Designed to recycle long lived nuclear waste as fuel, our technology also advances a more circular nuclear fuel cycle.
Having completed the conceptual design of our demonstrator reactor and secured the site for its deployment in Noord Holland, we are entering the next phase: detailed engineering, licensing, supply chain development and construction of our first of a kind reactor, paving the way for commercial deployment in Zeeland.
We work alongside leading industrial partners including Orano, VDL Groep, Tractebel and EPZ. Our program has been selected by the European Commission and by the French government under the France 2030 investment plan, and is recognized by the Dutch government as a flagship innovation project strengthening the country's long term competitiveness.
At Thorizon, we believe a strongly coupled multidisciplinary technology development requires a culture of full openness and transparency. That’s why we foster values like unity, communication, and support to ensure we grow together as a team while achieving our purpose.

Core Responsibilities

You will perform high-quality thermal-hydraulics studies and provide expert support to system design teams for reactor development. Additionally, you will define and execute validation programs, including experiments and computational tool qualification, while collaborating with international regulators and stakeholders.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a master's degree and have at least 8 years of experience in thermal-hydraulics engineering. Proficiency in CFD techniques, system codes, and a strong background in nuclear reactor transients and safety standards are essential.

About Thorizon

Industry: Nuclear Electric Power Generation

Company size: 11-50 employees

Nuclear without compromise - Thorizon is building a new generation of modular reactors to power industry, data centers and energy independence. Our molten salt technology is intrinsically safe and affordable. By using nuclear waste as fuel, we unlock far more value from the resources the world already has. Affordable power and high temperature heat - Thorizon is a European developer of next-generation small modular reactors. Our reactors provide reliable baseload power and high-temperature heat for industry. Their compact footprint and low-pressure operation enable deployment close to where it’s needed. Together with leading partners in energy and manufacturing, we are bringing the first Thorizon reactor to market. Designed for series production from day one.

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