Nuclear Fuel Qualification

Are you a technically sharp, self-driven engineer who knows what it takes to qualify nuclear fuel? Join Blykalla and lead the work to prove our fuel’s performance—from digging up data to driving high-stakes irradiation tests. This is a chance to shape how a new fuel gets qualified for the world’s first lead-cooled SMR.

What we do at Blykalla

At Blykalla, we are developing the next generation of nuclear technology with our Advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR), based on uranium nitride fuel and a compact, lead-cooled design. As Sweden’s only SMR developer, we are on a mission to decarbonize heavy industry and other energy-intensive sectors and deliver safe, scalable, and sustainable energy.

What you’ll get to do

You’ll lead the technical execution of our fuel qualification programme. Your mission is to make sure we have the right data, the right experiments, and the right documentation to prove that our fuel is ready—credible, safe, and regulator-ready.

• Define what it takes to qualify our fuel—regulatory expectations, technical evidence, and structured arguments
• Identify data gaps and source relevant results from past and present programmes, publications, and industry archives
• Specify and follow up irradiation tests and post-irradiation examinations that generate the data we need
• Drive international collaboration efforts—both by joining existing qualification programmes and by setting up targeted partnerships with labs and academia
• Align development and qualification needs across the fuel and materials teams
• Serve as the technical lead in sourcing and procuring services critical to fuel qualification, in close collaboration with the sourcing team
• Represent Blykalla’s technical position in discussions on fuel performance and qualification with regulators, authorities, and partners
• Build internal structure and documentation to ensure data traceability, quality assurance, and readiness for regulatory submissions

Where this role can take you

If you succeed in this role, you’ll become a key technical voice in our fuel program. Over time, this could grow into:

• An expert path: a broader qualification lead role covering fuel, materials, and components across the development pipeline.
• A strategic path: a strategic R&D role within Blykalla’s R&D team—leading programme coordination, integrating external collaborations, and driving cross-cutting development work beyond just fuel.
• A manager path: a coordination role ensuring technical alignment across engineering, safety, and regulatory teams in support of qualification goals.

This is a core position with real potential to shape how we—and the broader SMR field—define qualified fuel.

Who you are

You work with clarity and initiative. You break down complexity, structure your work, and follow through without waiting for direction. You ask questions when things don’t add up, and you’re comfortable challenging assumptions—your own and others’. You communicate directly and respectfully, especially when stakes are high or perspectives differ. You take ownership of your work, flag risks early, and stay focused on outcomes. You’re pragmatic about progress, quick to test ideas, and disciplined about safety and credibility. You collaborate across functions without friction, keep others informed, and contribute to a culture where high standards and psychological safety go hand in hand.

Qualifications

• Degree in nuclear engineering, materials science, or a closely related field
• Understanding of regulatory processes for fuel qualification and evidence-based safety cases
• Experience with fuel qualification—such as designing experiments, running irradiation tests, or conducting PIE to generate regulatory evidence.
• Fluent in English; Swedish is a plus
• Willingness to travel within Europe and occasionally beyond
• Eligible to work with nuclear materials in Sweden.

Location

The position is based in Stockholm with flexibility for partial remote work. Travel to partner sites and research facilities will be part of the role.

We do not accept applications via email.

We are not open to external help from recruitment agencies.