SARA HARRIS

Contribute across reliability, operations, and process engineering roles supporting ETU 1.0, MSPP, and future plant designs.

1. RELIABILITY ENGINEER | June 2022 – Present

• Authored and coordinated hundreds of Operating Experience (OE) reports and investigations documenting equipment failures, process deviations, operational events, and lessons learned.
• Led ETU 1.0 Lessons Learned program for all major systems, partnering with Responsible Engineers and SMEs to capture insights and drive corrective actions that improved design, operations, and procedures.
• Performed extensive P&ID reviews, system evaluations, and operating experience analyses that informed ETU 2.0 design development, commissioning planning, operational readiness, and maintenance strategy.
• Led FMEA reviews and risk evaluations for critical KP-FHR systems, enhancing reliability and safety across geysers pumps, piping, samplers, beryllium systems, gas treatment, analyzers, CCS components, thermal management, and reactor support systems.
• Leveraged ETU 1.0 operating experience, FMEAs, PHAs, and event investigations to influence ETU 2.0 design decisions, instrumentation strategies, maintenance programs, and operator guidance.
• Created reliability diagrams, failure chains, and design review packages that supported system design maturation and operational readiness.
• Led and participated in PHAs, MOCs, FMEA reviews, and design reviews supporting ETU 2.0 and MSPP.
• Maintained action tracking systems, OE summaries, and lessons-learned repositories to capture and apply organizational knowledge.
• Mentor Reliability Engineering interns on OE writing, FMEA methodology, technical writing, and plant systems.
• Developed reliability models for advanced nuclear technologies.
• Led risk assessments to evaluate potential operational impacts.

2. PROCESS & OPERATIONS ENGINEER – MSPP | 2024 – Present

• Primary operator for MSPP Production Run 2, personally executing every pneumatic Fibre salt transfer campaign across five production tanks (>30 transfer evolutions) with zero safety or environmental events.
• Lead process and operations engineering support for MSPP production, troubleshooting, maintenance planning, sampling, and process activities to produce high-purity Fibre for ETU 2.0.
• Developed and implemented operational improvements including shift turnover processes, weekly task coordination, communication workflows, production planning tools, and readiness metrics.
• Planned and coordinated high-risk activities including diptube removals, bubbler restorations, leak testing, hot operations, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Implemented process improvements including thermocouple placement strategies, MCC/HMI upgrades, transfer-line enhancements, reliability checklists, and lessons-learned integration.
• Spearheaded implementation of MSPP safety controls, enhancing operational safety through stop-work actions, improved dofiling processes, communication protocols, wearable safety monitoring, and operational work controls.
• Authored operational work practices for Kairos personnel working inside beryllium and molten salt processing environments.
• Collaborate daily with operations personnel, engineering teams, operators, and SMEs to identify improvements and resolve process challenges.
• Beryllium Operator Qualified with extensive experience in respiratory protection, Tyvek, chemical-resistant PPE, and hazardous-material work environments.
• Coordinate operators, electricians, pipefitters, contractors, and engineering teams to execute production and maintenance activities safely and efficiently.

3. LEAD OPERATOR / OPERATIONS SUPPORT ENGINEER – ETU 1.0 | 2023 – 2024

• Served as Lead Operator support for ETU 1.0 commissioning, startup, testing, and early operations.
• Executed critical plant evolutions including reactor vessel fill operations, pneumatic salt transfers, leak testing campaigns, Primary Salt Pump (PSP) operations, RCSS insertion and withdrawal evolutions, and salt sampling activities.
• Operated and monitored high-temperature molten salt systems using Ignition SCADA/HMI, coordinating responses to abnormal conditions and alarms.
• Conducted plant rounds, monitored equipment health, evaluated abnormal conditions, and validated proper system operation.
• Led pre-job briefs, operational risk reviews, and field execution with operators, engineers, and technicians.
• Supported Chemistry Control System operations, Boreal analyzer deployment, scrubber systems, and other molten salt process equipment.
• Developed deep familiarity with ETU systems, process behavior, operational hazards, and commissioning challenges through hands-on experience.
• Authored and refined operating procedures and operator guidance, ensuring improved safety, consistency, and efficiency in plant operations.
• Coordinated with vendors to source replacement parts for repairs or upgrades.