Criticality Safety Engineer

Aalo Atomics•Idaho Falls, ID

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Aalo Atomics is seeking a Criticality Safety Engineer to perform criticality safety evaluations, develop and maintain criticality safety controls, and serve as the Criticality Safety Officer (CSO) for assigned facilities at the Aalo-X campus. Reporting to the Nuclear Safety Manager, the role ensures operations involving fissionable materials comply with DOE criticality safety requirements and applicable ANSI/ANS-8 series standards. The engineer independently performs and reviews criticality safety analyses and provides technical guidance to operations, design, and facility management teams. As CSO for assigned Criticality Control Areas, the engineer serves as the facility liaison between Criticality Safety Engineering and operations. Duties include regular facility walkdowns and surveillance, advising personnel on criticality safety limits and controls, and ensuring new or modified equipment and activities are covered by active evaluations and the criticality safety basis. The role requires expertise in nuclear criticality safety, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate safety requirements to varied technical and operational audiences. The work combines office and field activity at the Aalo-X campus, including regular walkdowns in Criticality Control Areas with appropriate PPE and access controls. Occasional travel to DOE headquarters, other Aalo locations, or industry events may be required. The employee must be based in the United States and willing to work on-site in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Persons in compliance with 10 CFR Part 810 and may not hold non-compliant foreign citizenships.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, Physics, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline.
At least 8 years of experience in nuclear criticality safety, including independent preparation and review of criticality safety evaluations at DOE nuclear facilities.
Proficiency with Monte Carlo neutron transport codes such as MCNP, SCALE, OpenMC, or Serpent for criticality safety analysis.
Strong working knowledge of DOE criticality safety requirements, including 10 CFR 830, DOE Order 420.1 Chapter III, and DOE-STD-3007.
Thorough familiarity with the ANSI/ANS-8 series standards for nuclear criticality safety.
Experience reviewing and assessing safety basis documents for criticality safety adequacy.
Ability to independently assess criticality safety for facilities, processes, and proposed modifications.
Strong technical writing and communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear and defensible criticality safety evaluations and technical reports.
Interpersonal skills to communicate criticality safety requirements to operations, design, and management personnel.
Knowledge of nuclear criticality safety training and qualification requirements per ANSI/ANS-8.26.
Based in the United States and willing to work on-site in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
U.S. Citizen or U.S. Person in compliance with 10 CFR Part 810; may not hold non-compliant foreign citizenships.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or a related discipline.
Experience serving as a Criticality Safety Officer with facility-specific oversight responsibilities.
Hands-on criticality safety training or practical experience with parameters affecting neutron multiplication of fissionable material systems.
Experience validating neutron transport methods per ANSI/ANS-8.24, including benchmark experiment selection and bias determination.
Familiarity with DOE-STD-3009 and integration of criticality safety into Documented Safety Analyses.
Experience with criticality accident alarm systems design and evaluation per ANSI/ANS-8.3.
Knowledge of transportation criticality safety requirements, including 10 CFR 71 and 49 CFR 173.
Experience supporting DOE readiness assessments, Operational Readiness Reviews, or similar authorization activities for criticality safety.
Background in advanced reactor fuel handling, storage, and processing operations.
Familiarity with Integrated Safety Management System principles as applied to criticality safety.

Responsibilities

Independently perform criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) in accordance with DOE-STD-3007, including scoping calculations for design, technical guidance, and formal safety basis analyses.
Check and verify criticality safety evaluations, including performing independent calculations and analyses to confirm requirements have been met.
Perform criticality safety reviews and assessments of existing facilities and planned activities, including facility modifications and process changes.
Review safety basis documents, proposed safety basis documents, and facility or process modifications for criticality safety implications.
Oversee and support implementation of the Aalo Atomics Criticality Safety Program requirements, limits, and controls across assigned facilities.
Serve as Criticality Safety Officer for assigned Criticality Control Areas and liaise between facility management and Criticality Safety Engineering.
Conduct regular facility walkdowns and surveillances to maintain familiarity with operations and verify compliance with criticality safety controls.
Advise operating personnel and supervision on compliance with criticality safety limits and requirements, and identify when consultation with Criticality Safety Engineering is needed.
Authorize implementation of new or modified equipment and activities within assigned Criticality Control Areas, ensuring coverage by active CSEs and the criticality safety basis.
Participate in developing and approving facility-specific criticality safety controls, including attending review meetings and concurring with facility controls.
Guide operations and facility management in identifying criticality safety violations and areas of concern.
Support development and maintenance of criticality safety documentation, including the Criticality Safety Program plan, procedures, and training materials.
Coordinate with nuclear safety, design engineering, and operations teams to integrate criticality safety requirements into facility design and operational procedures.
Support development of recovery plans and emergency response procedures related to criticality safety events.
Perform or support Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) evaluations for changes with potential criticality safety implications.