Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers

About Aalo Atomics Aalo Atomics is pioneering a new era in clean energy with factory-fabricated microreactors designed to deliver affordable, scalable, and reliable nuclear power. Our mission is to make nuclear energy globally accessible, starting with the Aalo-1, a 10 MWe reactor leveraging cutting-edge safety, modularity, and efficiency. Based in Austin, TX, we’re rapidly growing as we work to deploy the world’s first fleet of advanced microreactors. Join us and help revolutionize energy for a sustainable future. About the Role As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHEs) at Aalo Atomics, you will own PCHE production from collaborating with design engineering on development and prototyping through to repeatable, qualified manufacturing. You will be the technical authority on the floor for all processes related to PCHE production. This is a senior technical role responsible for defining and maturing Aalo's PCHE manufacturing process from process development and qualification through high-rate production. Key Responsibilities Own process development across plate fabrication, cleaning/surface prep, stack-up, diffusion bonding, post-bond machining, final joining, and inspection Develop and qualify diffusion bonding parameters (temperature, pressure, time, surface preparation) in partnership with materials and process engineering to achieve full parent-metal bond integrity Develop and qualify external suppliers and special-process vendors as needed during prototype and production ramp Author and maintain travelers, work instructions, routings, and process specifications that meet nuclear-grade documentation and code requirements Lead process development, qualification, and production validation through design of experiments, coupon testing, bond-line metallography, dimensional verification, proof/burst testing, and helium leak testing Specify and develop tooling, fixtures, and inspection methods to improve plate alignment, dimensional control, and throughput Partner with Quality and NDE teams to develop inspection strategies for internal channel geometry, bond integrity, dimensional conformance, and final pressure-boundary acceptance Establish process control plans, capability studies (Cpk), and SPC monitoring for critical-to-quality characteristics Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for nonconformances, scrap, and rework — and turn findings into permanent process improvements Provide design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback to design engineering Drive schedule and throughput on PCHE production — identify risks early, solve problems fast, and keep qualification and production milestones on track Support reliability and design-validation testing including thermal, pressure-cycle, and environmental testing to establish manufacturing robustness and service readiness Specify, select, and justify capital equipment for diffusion bonding furnaces, etching, and inspection assets; support capacity and production planning Experience developing controlled processes for pressure-boundary or safety-critical hardware Experience with cleaning, contamination control, and surface preparation for metal joining processes Experience working with external suppliers or special-process vendors to qualify manufacturing steps Develop and document factory standards for etching, bonding, welding, and inspection processes Establish full material and process traceability, inspection records, and manufacturing data packages required for pressure-boundary hardware. (ASME BPVC Section VIII, NQA-1 where applicable) Success in this role means establishing a qualified, repeatable PCHE manufacturing process with clear process windows, controlled documentation, defined inspection methods, and production readiness. Mentor junior manufacturing engineers and technicians; establish process standards and templates for factory-wide deployment Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing, C