Civil Structures Intern

Job Description

About company

Kairos Power is a cutting-edge nuclear energy technology and engineering company dedicated to enabling the world’s transition to clean energy. Its core mission is to dramatically enhance people’s quality of life while safeguarding the environment. This ambitious goal will be achieved through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR). The FHR technology is designed to offer robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation, making it well-suited to support the expansion of variable renewable energy sources.

Job Description, Detailed

Kairos Power is offering a unique and exciting internship opportunity for Summer 2026 within its Civil Structures team. This role provides a hands-on experience for students to contribute to groundbreaking projects in the nuclear energy sector, leveraging both high-performance computing and experimental investigative methods.

General Responsibilities:
As an intern on the Civil Structures team, you will be expected to:
• Learn and apply various building and design codes.
• Perform intricate hand calculations alongside using commercially available finite element analysis (FEA) software, such as ANSYS.
• Develop comprehensive engineering design calculation packages. These packages will require you to consider and analyze various stress factors including static, dynamic, blast, vibration, and thermal stresses.
• Evaluate the durability of structural components, assessing both low and high cycle fatigue.
• Utilize CAD software to develop detailed 3D models and 2D drawings of structural components.
• Prepare clear and concise reports and presentations summarizing your design and analysis work.
• Contribute to the review and improvement of structural material selection and structural component specifications.
• Actively participate in design reviews to ensure that all designs meet stringent safety and operability standards.
• Undertake other duties as assigned to support the team’s objectives.

Qualifications:
To be considered for this internship, candidates must meet the following criteria:
• Currently pursuing a B.S. or M.S. degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated application of technical skills outside of a purely academic setting is highly preferred. This could include experience gained through laboratory work, research projects, extracurricular activities, personal projects, or prior internships/work experience.
• Experience with CAD software is preferred, with SolidWorks being a particular advantage.
• Experience in explicit dynamics is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or Excel Macros is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, specifically Outlook, Excel, and Word, is required.
• The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• A proven team player with excellent verbal, written communication/presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a highly collaborative team environment.
• Capability to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• A strong commitment to prioritizing and ensuring the safety of oneself and others.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage, and transfer knowledge within the team.
• A proactive approach to seeking different and novel ways to create efficiencies when addressing problems, challenges, and issues.

Physical Conditions:
The role may involve remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods, and requires regular communication with others to exchange information.

Environmental Conditions:
The work will primarily be conducted in a general office environment. The role demands high concentration, and the ability to work in a demanding and fast-paced setting, with a focus on accessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of assigned work.

Safety and PPE:
It is essential to be able to read and interpret hazardous warning signs. The role may require wearing proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including face masks, face shields, gloves, and safety shoes.

Compensation:
The hourly range for this position is $28-$30 for employees working onsite at Kairos Power’s Alameda, CA headquarters. The final salary may vary based on factors such as education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, market data, and comparison to other employees in similar roles.

Export Control Note:
This position is located in a facility that handles information subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. Access to this information requires authorization from the Department of Energy. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list will not be permitted to work in the facility unless an export control license is issued by the Department of Energy to the company for that individual.