Thermal-hydraulics
Team Lead - Do you want to contribute to the development of a new energy technology that can safely turn nuclear waste into emission-free energy? Are you excited about working in a hands-on deep-tech start-up team that aims to make a huge impact? Do you like complex challenges? Then, we might be just the company you are looking for!
Job discription
We are looking for a driven thermal-hydraulics team lead to join our innovative and international team.
About Thorizon
At Thorizon, we’re a passionate team spread across Amsterdam and Lyon, all working together to develop new nuclear power solutions. We design and create frontier technology for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs).
Our purpose is to accelerate the availability of clean energy and help solve the climate crisis.
We are in the development phase and aim to solidify our design through analyses, simulations, experiments, prototyping, and partnerships. 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.
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? Are you a teambuilder that can get the most out of technical experts and specialists, in an innovative and multidisciplinary development environment?
You will be the lead and responsible for all activities related to thermal-hydraulics studies in Thorizon’s reactor design, safety case and validation. You will be the key person of this 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 manage a growing team of junior and intermediate engineers, collaborate with external thermal-hydraulics specialists, define an organization designed to ensure the quality and validity of the studies and work performed by your team, and develop this thermal-hydraulics expertise center in line with the needs of the Thorizon project and its future developments.
In your role, you have an overview of all design projects carried out within Thorizon (non-nuclear Pilot design, Pioneer nuclear demonstrator design, FOAK/NOAK design), the entire thermal-hydraulics validation plan, and interfaces with the system design teams and with other areas of expertise (such as nuclear safety, neutronics, chemistry and mechanics). You are the key person in your area of expertise and the facilitator for responding to any needs for the project.
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, with your team members, 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, explore various aspects of thermal-hydraulics engineering, how to build and manage an effective expert team, and play a crucial role in the company’s growth.
This role is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands or in Lyon, France.
In this role you will:
Contribute to the development of an effective expert team in thermal-hydraulics, fulfilling all the needs in this domain for the success of the Thorizon project.
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.
Define, execute, and adapt where needed 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.
Ensure the adequate knowledge and application of relevant Computational Tools in thermal-hydraulics for the development of the project.
Manage, organize and develop the thermal-hydraulics engineering team, ensuring the quality and validity of the studies and work performed by the team and making the specialists develop their full potential.
Perform thermal-hydraulics studies as a team member.
Support team members’ professional development by identifying and providing opportunities for training and growth.
Ensure seamless interfaces and relationships with the System Design Teams, with the other Functional Teams, with the Licensing and Safety Team and with the Management Team.
Participate in meetings with regulators with the aim of defending in-house positions and contribute to maintaining an active dialogue with regulators (in particular ASNR, ANVS 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.
About you:
Master's degree and proven experience in thermal-hydraulics engineering (10 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 ASNR guide 28 and IAEA standards.
You have at least 5 years of experience managing an expert team in a multidisciplinary technology development environment.
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, and have the ability to adjust your management style depending on situation and the people involved.
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.
What can you expect from us?
Dynamic and ambitious team of nuclear technology professionals that are committed to solving today’s energy challenges
Unique experience in a fast-growing VC-backed deep tech start-up
Opportunity to work on a game-changing technology that reduces our carbon footprint and nuclear waste streams
Competitive salary and an employee profit-sharing plan
International work experience
Office in the center of Amsterdam close to Central Station or Lyon next to the Central station.
Does this sound like a match?
We are looking forward to your application! Send your application to : recruitment@thorizon.com
Thorizon takes responsibility to make our company more inclusive. We need all ideas to realize our mission and want everyone to feel welcome in our team.
