ES&H Academic Graduate Appointee

LLNL•Livermore, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated Academic Graduate Appointee to join the Nuclear Criticality Safety Division within the Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) Directorate. This role offers the unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research in criticality safety, collaborate with leading experts, and develop innovative solutions to complex technical challenges. This position is in the Nuclear Criticality Safety Division within the ES&H Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This position offers a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You will have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.

Requirements

Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical field.
Foundation in reactor physics, neutron transport theory, and nuclear engineering principles demonstrated through coursework and/or research experience.
Experience with Monte Carlo radiation transport codes (e.g., MCNP, OpenMC, Serpent, COG) through coursework or research projects.
Proficiency in Python programming for scientific computing and data analysis.
Experience with reactor kinetics, subcritical multiplication, or neutron detection techniques.
Understanding of nuclear criticality safety principles and fissile material operations.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail necessary for nuclear safety applications.
Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary team environments.
Proficient verbal and written communication skills necessary to document technical analyses, prepare presentations, and contribute to scientific publications.
Ability to work independently while following rigorous safety protocols and quality assurance requirements.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with radiation detection instrumentation (e.g., He-3 detectors, scintillators, neutron generators)
Experience with experimental design, data acquisition systems, and uncertainty quantification
Knowledge of nuclear data evaluation and processing

Responsibilities

Conduct nuclear criticality safety research and analysis under the guidance of senior staff scientists.
Design, execute, and analyze subcritical reactor physics experiments, including pulsed neutron die-away measurements and reactor noise analysis.
Develop and validate Monte Carlo radiation transport models using codes such as COG, MCNP, OpenMC, and Serpent.
Design and characterize nuclear instrumentation and radiation detection systems for experimental diagnostics.
Develop Python-based software tools for nuclear data analysis, reactor kinetics parameter extraction, and experimental data visualization.
Collaborate with researchers at other DOE national laboratories, naval facilities, and international institutions.
Support nuclear criticality safety evaluations for operations involving fissile material.
Contribute to scientific publications and present results at technical conferences.
Assist with fissile material operations and experiments at LLNL facilities and potentially at the Nevada National Security Site.
Perform other duties as assigned.