{"id":2476429,"url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation","title":"Senior Engineer, Scientific Software and Developer Platform, Modeling and Simulation","company":{"id":97164,"name":"Kairos Power","domain":"kairospower.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/kairospower","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":83,"open_postings":6,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.5,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":200,"computed_at":"2026-10-23T05:54:15Z"}},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Alameda, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":152191,"max":190238,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":190238},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Bash","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Docker","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"GitHub Actions","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Pytest","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SLURM","optional":false},{"name":"AWS","optional":true},{"name":"CMake","optional":true},{"name":"Doxygen","optional":true},{"name":"GCP","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-13T18:53:45Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-14","last_verified_at":"2026-10-23T07:24:19Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":9,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":9},"description":"Company Overview\nKairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.\nJob Summary \nKairos Power is looking for a Senior Scientific Software and Developer Platform Engineer to work within a small software and infrastructure team that supports the needs of our design, research, and development organizations. This is a hands-on individual contributor role. You will architect and build the scientific software, developer tooling, and delivery systems that nuclear engineers and computational scientists use to design and analyze nuclear power systems. \nThe work spans Python and C++ development, computational modeling, build and packaging systems, reproducible artifact delivery, CI/CD, containerization, software quality assurance, and high-performance computing workflows. You will set software architecture direction, establish the design and maintainability standards the group works to, and raise engineering practice through design review, code review, and mentoring. The group favors simple, proportionate designs assembled from standard, well-supported technologies, and this role is expected to be a leading voice for that standard. Success means writing and shaping software that engineers other than its original author can operate, extend, and maintain. \nResponsibilities \nScientific and engineering software \nDesign, implement, test, and maintain scientific and engineering software in Python and C++, including the implementation of computational modeling methods and numerical algorithms. \nOwn software architecture for internally developed engineering tools, selecting data structures, interfaces, and algorithms that match the actual problem rather than an anticipated one. \nProfile and optimize performance where a measurable requirement justifies the work, and document the resulting characteristics. \nCollaborate with nuclear and other non-software engineers to define software projects based on their needs for tools that support the primary mission of the company. \nBuild, packaging, and artifact delivery \nOwn CI/CD for internally developed software using GitHub Actions or comparable systems, including automated testing, quality gates, and controlled release. \nBuild reproducible build and packaging pipelines for Python packages, Conda environments, and C++ binaries and libraries, including compiler and dependency management. \nOwn artifact publication and versioning, so that consumers can determine exactly what they are running and reproduce it later. \nDiagnose and resolve compilation, dependency, environment, and runtime problems across the scientific software stack. \nEstablish and maintain container build and runtime patterns for Docker and Apptainer across development and high-performance computing use, and own base image currency and upgrade paths so that containers stay patched without breaking the workflows built on them. \nSoftware quality assurance and controlled delivery \nUphold internal software quality assurance requirements, and build the automation that makes compliance a property of the pipeline rather than a manual step. \nDefine the artifacts, records, and gates required for controlled software delivery, and make them reproducible from the build system. \nSupport software quality audits with evidence generated by tooling rather than assembled by hand. \nScientific computing platform \nDevelop and support high-performance computing user workflows, including Slurm scheduling, Open OnDemand interactive access, MPI, and GPU computing. \nImprove the day-to-day experience of the engineers and scientists who use these platforms, and reduce the friction in their modeling and simulation workflows. \nBuild self-service engineering workflows and documented paths that let users solve common problems without opening a request. \nEngineering standards and mentorship \nEstablish design, documentation, and maintainability standards that other teams use to develop and deploy code, and apply them consistently through technical design review and code review. \nReview software produced across the group, including internal applications, so that no system depends on a single author. \nMentor engineers, transfer knowledge deliberately, and remove single-person dependencies through documentation and shared ownership. \nEvaluate build-versus-buy decisions, and select standard, well-supported libraries and tools over custom frameworks unless a requirement clearly demands otherwise. \nChoose the smallest design that meets the actual requirement, and identify and retire technical debt, premature abstraction, and unnecessary complexity. \nParticipate in the team’s engineering help queue for issues that require deep software expertise, and communicate resolutions clearly to the engineers who reported them. \nQualifications \nBachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, computational science, or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and practical experience. \n5+ years of relevant software engineering experience, including experience developing scientific, engineering, computational, or other technically complex software. \nStrong and demonstrable experience developing scientific or engineering software, with depth in both Python and C++. \nExperience implementing computational modeling methods, numerical methods, or comparable quantitative algorithms. \nDemonstrated software architecture experience, including the ability to decompose a problem, define interfaces, and reason about maintainability, performance, and long-term cost. \nExperience with automated testing, including unit and integration testing with frameworks such as PyTest or GoogleTest. \nProficiency with Git, Linux, Bash, and SSH. \nExperience mentoring engineers and conducting design and code review, together with a demonstrated ability to accept and apply design feedback. \nA track record of building software that other engineers can operate, extend, and maintain, supported by clear documentation and deliberate knowledge transfer. \nDesired Qualifications \nMaster’s or Ph.D. in computational science, physics, engineering, or a related discipline, particularly with research experience implementing numerical methods is desirable. \nExperience with containerization using Docker, Apptainer, or comparable tools is desirable. \nExperience with Python packaging and environment management, including Conda, and with versioned artifact publication is desirable. \nExperience with build systems such as CMake, and with compiler and dependency management for compiled software is desirable. \nExperience with CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions, including pipeline design and release automation is desirable. \nExperience with performance profiling and optimization driven by measurement rather than assumption is desirable. \nExperience with software quality assurance practices and controlled software delivery is desirable. \nExperience with high-performance computing environments, including Slurm, Open OnDemand, MPI, and GPU computing is desirable. \nExperience with software quality assurance in a regulated or safety-conscious engineering environment is desirable. \nExperience with documentation tooling such as Doxygen or Sphinx is desirable. \nExperience with relational databases, backend APIs, or cloud platforms such as AWS or Google Cloud is desirable. \nFamiliarity with infrastructure as code and the operational side of software delivery is desirable. \nKnowledge, Skills & Abilities \nProficiency with Git, Linux, Bash, and SSH. \nStrong command of software design fundamentals, including object-oriented programming, data structures, and algorithms. \nAbility to systematically diagnose complex software, build, dependency, environment, and runtime issues and identify root causes. \nAbility to design and maintain reproducible software build, test, packaging, and delivery processes. \nAbility to apply software quality assurance principles, including traceability, testing, documentation, and controlled delivery, appropriate to the software being developed. \nAbility to communicate effectively with nuclear engineers, computational scientists, and other non-software specialists, and to translate their requirements into working software. \nAbility to work with a highly collaborative team. \nAbility to solve problems quickly and efficiently. \nPrioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others. \nAbility to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge. \nAbility to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges, and issues, where each improvement is tied to a measurable engineering need such as safety, reliability, performance, usability, or maintainability. \nAbility to exercise architectural judgment and to favor the simplest design that satisfies the requirement. \nAbility to give direct technical feedback, to receive it, and to change course when a review identifies a better approach. \nAbility to explain technical tradeoffs to engineers and scientists who are not software specialists. \nAbility to take operational ownership of software through its full lifecycle, including testing, documentation, support, and retirement. \nPhysical Conditions \nRemaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods \nMoving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another \nCommunicating with others to exchange information \nEnvironmental Conditions \nRemote work \nGeneral office environment \nHigh-concentration, demanding and fast-paced. \nSafety and PPE \nReading and interpreting hazardous warning signs \nManipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials \n Travel \nSome travel may be required for workshops and project assistance. \nAdditional Requirements \nOccasionally requires working weekends. \nOccasionally requires schedule flexibility. \nOccasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines. \nThe salary range for this position is $152,191 to $190,238 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that maybe used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.\n#LI-Onsite #LI-Remote\nAbout our Benefits\nWe know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:\nCompetitive compensation packages\nMedical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents\nPaid Vacation\n401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)\nKairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.\nKairos Power participates in E-Verify.\nCandidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.\nNote: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Pa...","description_format":"text","description_chars":12616,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Health insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Nuclear Energy","Nuclear Engineering"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-13T21:33:44Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 1 · green card filings: 4","filings_12m":1,"filings_prev_12m":6,"green_card_filings_12m":4,"median_offered_wage_usd":140500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":9,"expected_fill_days":200,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-23T05:54:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":190238,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/kairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-23T10:28:26Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":15914,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-24T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":97164},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=97164"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/kairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fkairos-power-senior-engineer-scientific-software-and-developer-platform-modeling-and-simulation"}]}