AI Engineer 1
The Nuclear Company
Software Engineering, Data Science
Washington, DC, USA
The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing startup in the nuclear and energy space creating a never before seen fleet-scale approach to building nuclear reactors. Through its design-once, build-many approach and coalition building across communities, regulators, and financial stakeholders, The Nuclear Company is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity at the lowest cost, while catalyzing the nuclear industry toward rapid development in America and globally.
The Nuclear Company is conducting a national search for 15 highly motivated and talented engineers to join our DC-based AI & Platform Engineering team.
About the role
This role offers the opportunity to contribute to AI-assisted product development for one of the most consequential clean energy buildouts in America, working alongside senior and principal engineers in a modern engineering environment built around AI-assisted coding, rapid prototyping, and 3D simulation work.
You’ll be building the foundation that powers everything we do. From unifying our platforms to training the AI systems at the core of our mission.
This role is based in Washington, DC. We will relocate top talent to DC. If you’re willing to move, we want to hear from you.
Responsibilities
- Assist senior engineers in the design, development, and testing of software and AI-enabled features.
- Contribute to AI-assisted coding workflows alongside experienced engineers
- Support 3D, simulation, and visualization work in Unreal Engine and adjacent toolchains.
- Conduct research and analysis, prepare technical documentation, and participate in design reviews.
- Adhere to quality standards & complete assigned tasks within established timelines.
Experience/Required Qualifications
- Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (Python, C++, C#, or Typescript) and fundamentals of SQL.
- Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools (Claude, GitHub Copilot, or similar), with examples of what has been built.
- Familiarity with data pipeline/ETL concepts and at least one cloud environment (AWS a plus).
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- 1-3 years' work experience with a Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or Game Design/Game programming.
- Coursework or projects in Unreal Engine, Unity, OpenGL, or other graphics and simulation frameworks.
- Exposure to geospatial tools, 3D modeling, or simulation environments.
- Open-source contributions, hackathon or game jam participation.
- Interest in nuclear energy, infrastructure, or applying software to physical systems.
- Exposure to ML/AI workflows or training-data preparation.
- Experience with Palantir Foundry, dbt, Airflow, Spark or similar.
- Strong academic record; internships and co-ops valued.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation packages
- 401k with company match
- Medical, dental, vision plans
- Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
Estimated Starting Salary Range
The estimated starting salary range for this role is $80,000 - $150,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company’s discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role.
EEO Statement
The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.
Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.
Your safety is our priority. We want to ensure your job search stays secure. Please note that the team at The Nuclear Company only communicates through official @thenuclearcompany.com email addresses. We will never ask for payments or sensitive financial information at any stage of our recruitment process. For your peace of mind, please verify all openings and submit your applications directly through our official careers page.