Propulsion Lead

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 building a standardized nuclear electric plant — and the systems around it — to power maritime applications. We will install these plants on vessels built to our nuclear-ready standards, and we will move fast by leveraging the compact, proven technology of water-cooled reactors.

Scaling atomic energy is the next chapter, and the open ocean is where we unlock it. We pioneer nuclear power at sea, tackling every step from design to deployment.

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

The Propulsion Lead commands the propulsion machinery, shafting, and thruster architectures of Ocean Atomics’ floating energy platforms, driving the mechanical engineering discipline required to secure the class and regulatory approval for our fleet. While the naval architecture domain focuses on the external hull forms, this role defines how our vessels move, maneuver, and maintain station-keeping capabilities across their entire operational lifecycle.

You will own the prime movers, reduction gears, steering systems, and transit propulsion networks from initial concept through operational deployment. Your primary directive is to enforce rigid mechanical interface standards to ensure our conventional platforms are natively pre-engineered for seamless, post-delivery nuclear integration. By delivering survivable, highly reproducible, and modular propulsion plants, you will establish the definitive transit and maneuvering capabilities of our vessels, eliminating mechanical and hydrodynamic risk across the fleet.

Primary Responsibilities

• Command Propulsion and Thruster Architectures: Lead the engineering, selection, and optimization of primary propulsion machinery, mechanical shafting, and thruster systems.

• Own Prime Movers and Transit Networks: Design and manage the integration of prime movers, reduction gears, steering systems, and auxiliary transit propulsion networks from initial layout through deployment.

• Enforce Rigid Mechanical Interfaces: Establish and safeguard strict mechanical interface boundaries and alignment tolerances to ensure the conventional machinery plant natively adapts to future nuclear power inputs.

• Deliver Modular Plant Designs: Build highly survivable, reproducible, and modular propulsion configurations that minimize shipyard fabrication complexity and de-risk downstream assembly loops.

• Eliminate Lifecycle Mechanical Risk: Conduct rigorous torsional vibration analyses, shaft alignment modeling, and hydrodynamic boundary assessments to eliminate mechanical vulnerabilities before steel cutting begins.

• Support Class and Regulatory Approvals: Generate the mechanical schematics, calculations, and technical data packages required to clear classification society reviews (ABS) and statutory flag state (USCG) approvals.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a strictly related heavy machinery engineering discipline.

• Experience: 8+ years of experience specializing in marine propulsion systems, heavy machinery design, or shafting configuration for commercial vessels, naval ships, or large-scale offshore assets.

• Technical Mastery: Deep proficiency in marine propulsion engineering, including shaft line dynamics, reduction gear selection, steering gear mechanics, and thruster integration, alongside a definitive command of classification society machinery rules (e.g., ABS, DNV).

• Leadership Posture: A disciplined, highly analytical engineer who commands total authority over mechanical systems physics, executes complex engineering trade-offs under tight structural constraints, and drives technical progress through aggressive design loops.

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 info@oceanatomics.com.