Important Application Submission Information

In order to ensure your application is successfully received before the job posting expires, please submit your application by 11:59 PM on Thursday, March 19, 2026

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Depending upon the qualifications of the successful applicant, the hiring manager may elect to fill this position as Nuclear Engineer I or II – Reactor Engineer

Duke Energy is looking to hire an entry level, Engineer I or II, Reactor Engineer at the Oconee Nuclear Station (ONS) located on the beautiful Lake Keowee in upstate South Carolina! Oconee Nuclear Station is the 5th largest nuclear power plant in the USA by generation capacity with 3 units generating more than 2,500MW. The Oconee Nuclear Station recently had its license extended to be able to operate into 2054. Being a Reactor Engineer at the Oconee Nuclear Station will provide a stable career far into the future while being a key contributor to the success of putting large amounts of life essential electricity to the power grid.

Utilizing a foundational understanding of nuclear physics, Reactor Engineers provide support for day-to-day operation of the plant and emergent work. From determining acceptable locations to place fuel assemblies in the spent fuel pool and evaluating Boron-10 depletion in the reactor coolant system, to developing power maneuvers for control room operators and performing startup physics testing, Reactor Engineers are directly involved with many site activities that could affect reactivity. They perform highly proceduralized work, therefore attention to detail and ability to follow procedural instruction is critical to the success of this role. A questioning attitude and culture of continuous improvement is foundational to the nuclear industry and the person for this role should feel comfortable asking questions and always looking for a better way to perform work.

A candidate for this position should have a basic understanding of engineering theories and principles. They should understand the basic practices of engineering problem solving including researching engineering and design issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting recommendations. They should be able to work with a variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.

This is an entry level of the Engineering classification hierarchy. Employees at this level are expected to be mentored and gain qualifications to become fully qualified. The selected candidate is expected to develop these skills and work with greater independence as they become acquainted with the work and earn qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Earn qualifications to become a Qualified Reactor Engineer and maintain proficiency afterwards
• Provide support for control room operators by performing reactivity calculations such as developing power maneuvering plans, shutdown margin calculations, estimated critical position and boron, performing 1/M calculations for the approach to criticality, etc.
• Perform monitoring and trending of reactor performance ensuring any irregularities are evaluated appropriately with a willingness to expand the team as necessary
• Develop and maintain macro enabled spreadsheets and in-house developed software to assist with reactivity calculations, monitoring and trending, and surveillance testing
• Working as a team to support refueling outage activities (may include working off-nominal hours such as weekends and night shifts)
• Support startup physics testing and power escalation testing to validate performance of a new core/cycle
• Perform visual inspections of new and used fuel assemblies
• Support maintenance and fuel handler teammates by developing fuel move sheets for the spent fuel pool, reactor, and dry cask storage
• Support internal and external audits and inspections of activities related to reactor engineering
• Work with core design engineers to help plan future core designs and ensure site readiness
• Support the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) as a reactor engineer (requires the individual to be "on call" on some frequency, e.g. every 10 weeks)

Basic/Required Qualifications

Note: This posting is for one open position. Dependent on relevant experience, the level to which a candidate is aligned is outlined below.

Nuclear Engineer I

• Graduation from a four-year college or university with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program.
• A master’s degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
• 0-2 years of engineering experience

Nuclear Engineer II

• Graduation from a four-year college or university with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program.
• A master’s degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
• 2-4 Years of engineering experience
• Minimum of 1 year of nuclear experience (see specific requirements)

Desired Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering; or Mechanical Engineering with a understanding of nuclear systems and heat transfer.
• Basic understanding of reactor physics or reactor theory
• Experience at a nuclear operating facility
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Coding Experience (e.g. Python, Java, Visual Basic/VBA, FORTRAN, etc.)
• Experience developing or managing application software for use in Windows environment
• Passed the Engineering Fundamentals or PE Exam

Specific Requirements

• Must be able to obtain nuclear plant unescorted access
• In order to be added to the ERO roster for this position, must live within 1 hour of the nuclear site to meet response time requirements of the ERO position

Working Conditions

• Work in office and plant environments
• Normal work schedule is 10-hour workdays, Monday-Thursday
• This position is classified as a hybrid position, and the employee after initial qualifications can work 2 days a week in the office (or as necessary for the job function) and 2 days from home
• Additional hours may be expected as the plant requires (e.g. refueling outages, etc.)

Travel Requirements

5-15%

Relocation Assistance Provided (as applicable)

Yes

Represented/Union Position

No

Visa Sponsored Position

No

Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must possess all of the basic/required qualifications.

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