Advanced Nuclear Fuels Engineer

Amentum•Huntsville, AL

59d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is part of the Amentum support to the NASA EM32 Advanced Metals Processing & Technologies Team under the Engineering Services and Science Capability Augmentation (ESSCA) contract to the NASA MSFC Engineering Directorate. The following position involves nuclear fuel design, fabrication, and development to support NASA's Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Program. The opening emphasizes on research, design, material property collection and testing of materials of interest at elevated temperatures and under a hot hydrogen environment.

Requirements

Master's degree in materials science, nuclear engineering, ceramics, or closely related field (recent grads are welcome to apply).
U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident

Nice To Haves

Enrollment (either full or part-time) or completion of Doctoral degree (Ph.D) in nuclear engineering, materials science, ceramics, or closely related field
Experience with high temperature furnaces
Experience with high temperature materials (carbide materials, ultra-high temperature-ceramics)
Previous experience handling radiological materials (uranium) in powder form including familiarization with processes including powder milling, rotary evaporation, and consolidation
Previous internship experience at NASA centers
Previous internship experience at U.S. Department of Energy Laboratories (Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, etc.)
Metallographic sample preparation
Materials characterization (X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy)
Develop and execute design of experiments
Ability to write proposals and manuscripts

Responsibilities

Works with other researchers to create fuel development plans and execute miscellaneous research activities with other collaborators from DOE, private sector, and academia.
Performs synthesis of materials of interest for space nuclear propulsion including nuclear fuels, refractory metals, and ceramic materials.
Operates equipment and coordinates annual maintenance on facility equipment and miscellaneous systems.
Comply with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) safety guidelines and protocols in radiological laboratories.
Presents research findings including scientific data to peers, managers, and outside collaborators.
Ability to interact with senior level management and non-technical audiences.
Ability to write research plans, technical reports, and research proposals to increase collaborations internally, with private sector, and academia.
Effectively solve complex engineering challenges with both analytical and experimental approaches.