Senior Materials Engineering Consultant

Structural Integrity Associates (SIA) is seeking a Materials Engineer (Senior Engineer or Consultant) specializing in materials degradation, embrittlement behavior, and aging management for nuclear systems and components.

This role focuses on evaluating Adjusted Reference Temperature (ART), Upper Shelf Energy (USE), irradiation embrittlement, thermal aging, corrosion-related degradation, and material property reconciliation supporting ASME Code evaluations. Work includes support for reactor vessels, internals, pressure boundary materials, and emergent outage issues.

Ideal candidates bring strong analytical skills, curiosity about microstructural behavior under service conditions, and interest in supporting both long-term aging management and short-turnaround emergent issues.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Material Aging and Embrittlement
  • Perform evaluations based on RG1.99R2 for irradiation embrittlement, thermal aging, and property shifts for vessel and internals materials.
  • Support development and updates of Aging Management Programs for reactor vessel internals and pressure boundary materials.
  • Reconcile ASME Section II/III material properties for mechanical and structural analyses.
  • Evaluate degradation mechanisms such as SCC, corrosion, fatigue, irradiation-assisted embrittlement, and thermal aging.
• Engineering and Analytical Support
  • Analyze inspection results, surveillance capsule data, and materials performance trends.
  • Assist in mechanical/structural assessments using FEA inputs and materials data.
  • Support emergent outage issues including: foreign material evaluation, wall-thinning, contamination, or mechanical damage assessments.
• Project Execution and Reporting
  • Prepare calculation packages, materials evaluations, and high-quality technical reports.
  • Participate in proposals, client meetings, and cross-disciplinary project reviews.
• Client Engagement & Business Development
  • Contribute to proposals, scopes, estimates; identify growth opportunities
• Collaboration & R&D
  • Collaborate across disciplines; contribute to internal R&D roadmap and industry activities (e.g., EPRI participation, method improvements).

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or related field.
• 5–12 years relevant industry experience.
• Experience with materials degradation (embrittlement, corrosion, thermal aging).
• Ability to evaluate and interpret materials property data, inspection results, or aging trends.
• Strong communication and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work within nuclear QA and multi-disciplinary environments

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

• Experience with ASME BPVC Sections II, III, IX, XI.
• Direct experience in nuclear materials programs (RVI, RPV, chemistry/materials aging initiatives).
• Exposure to EPRI methodologies or NRC regulatory guidance.
• Background in FEA-supported materials assessments, data analytics, MATLAB/Python

Pay Range:
The expected salary range for this role is $101,040 - $184,560 in San Jose, CA; $86,160 - $156,120 in Denver, CO; and $79,900 - $145,320 in Charlotte, NC. Exact pay will be commensurate with experience.

Export Control Notice:
Certain positions at SIA may require access to information and technology which is subject to Export Administration Regulations 15 CFR 730-774, including those of the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 10 CFR 810 and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 10 CFR Part 110. Hiring decisions for such positions must comply with these regulations and may result in SIA limiting its consideration of foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the DOE’s Generally Authorized Destinations List: .

About Us:
SIA is an engineering consulting firm serving various industries including Nuclear Power, Energy Services, Pipeline Integrity, and Critical Infrastructure. Join a team of internationally recognized experts in a culture based on knowledge, excellence, and respect for one another. Our employees are members of a distinct community of internationally respected professionals committed to quality, engineering innovation and a shared goal of building a safer world.

Why Work at SIA?
SIA offers a competitive salary and performance-based bonus program. Our retirement benefits include a Traditional 401k, Roth 401k, and an employer match. To help employees maintain a work-life balance, SIA also offers various paid time off including vacation, floating holidays, sick time, and parental leave.

Our employees also enjoy a comprehensive benefits program that includes the following:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life Insurance and AD&D
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Health Savings Account with employer contribution
• Flexible Spending Account for health care and dependent care
• ID theft protection and credit monitoring

Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

SIA does not welcome third-party recruiters, employment agencies, headhunters, etc. Please do not reach out to SIA employees requesting a call, sit down, meeting, or email response.