Principal Naval Architect

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 Principal Naval Architect commands the hydrodynamic, structural, and spatial architecture of Ocean Atomics’ maritime systems design. While the broader organization manages external commercial and infrastructure networks, this role owns the physical integrity and marine performance of the vessels themselves, translating ambitious operational requirements into a highly disciplined product. You will lead the Naval Architecture domain—overseeing specialists in Structures, Hydrodynamics & Stability, Arrangements & Weights, and Habitability—from initial concept through global operational deployment. Your primary directive is to enforce rigid engineering parameters that ensure conventional hulls are natively pre-engineered for seamless, post-delivery nuclear integration. To succeed, you must bring deep technical authority, eliminating downstream shipyard risk by delivering survivable, modular, and highly reproducible marine structures that serve as the physical foundation for our fleet. Primary Responsibilities Command Marine Architecture & Hull Design: Own the macro-level hull form, structural configuration, and marine systems architecture, ensuring all designs optimize buoyancy, station-keeping, and long-term environmental survivability. Enforce Nuclear-Ready Interface Boundaries: Establish and enforce strict structural scantlings, shielding support matrices, and spatial margins to ensure the vessel platform natively accepts advanced reactor payloads without mid-cycle redesigns. Codify the Technical Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Drive the rigorous engineering documentation and product breakdown structures necessary to translate intellectual property into standardized, buildable blueprints for global shipyards. Direct Specialized Engineering Leads: Provide executive technical oversight and mentorship to the Structures, Hydrodynamics, Arrangements, and Habitability engineering leads, ensuring cross-functional design harmony. Secure Class and Regulatory Approvals: Anchor the technical submission strategy, driving design loops to successfully clear complex marine classification society reviews and international regulatory milestones.

Qualifications

Education: Advanced degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or a strictly related structural engineering discipline. Experience: 12+ years of senior engineering leadership within commercial shipbuilding, major offshore energy projects, or complex first-of-a-kind (FOAK) marine platform design. Design Mastery: A proven track record of architecting large-scale, complex marine structures from initial concept through active regulatory approval and physical deployment. Leadership Posture: Exceptional technical command. A disciplined, rigorous engineer who commands authority through technical expertise, thrives under tight design constraints, and can confidently guide specialized engineering leads through highly iterative 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 [email protected]. Apply To This Job