Materials Engineer

Pantex•Amarillo, TX

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Materials Engineer supports the Weapon Material Program at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. The role ensures that material definitions, requisitions, testing parameters, production procedures, and drawings conform to engineering specifications and design requirements. It provides technical support for production and acceptance testing issues, oversees laboratory testing and pilot-scale operations, and works with process engineers, design agencies, and production agencies to maintain alignment with manufacturing needs and weapon certification requirements. The position also monitors at-risk materials and coordinates efforts to qualify alternatives, designs and conducts experiments to characterize materials, assesses engineering properties, and recommends changes that improve performance, cost, and manufacturing yield. The engineer may lead implementation of new material-processing equipment and procedures and participate in safety and readiness reviews to ensure compliance with documented safety analyses and federal directives. The position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance; it may involve Materials Access Areas and participation in the Human Reliability Program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering, science, or information technology discipline.
Meet DOE Order 426.2A requirements: a bachelor’s degree in engineering or related science and two years of job-related experience, including at least one year of nuclear experience, or a DOE Order 426.2A alternative. Experience requirements may be satisfied after employment; until then, newly hired personnel will not be assigned duties that could affect the safety basis of nuclear facilities.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for security clearance applicants.
Successful candidates must pass a pre-placement physical, drug screening, and background investigation.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in an engineering, science, or information technology discipline.
Preferred GPA for up to four years after graduation: 3.0/4.0 for a bachelor’s degree, 3.3/4.0 for a master’s degree, or 3.5/4.0 for a Ph.D.; transcript confirmation is required at offer. After four years, relevant experience supersedes GPA in hiring considerations.
General knowledge of materials engineering, testing, kitting, and materials handling.
Knowledge of procedure writing and a general understanding of the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) Process.
Experience working with design agencies and familiarity with their common documentation requirements.
Knowledge of SAP and demonstrated computer skills, including Microsoft Office; effective oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

Review SAP material definitions, part numbers, raw material requisitions, and testing parameters for consistency with specifications and drawings.
Review production material lots and verify that materials meet required chemical and mechanical benchmarks.
Evaluate weapon assembly and disassembly procedures and verify that material call-outs and application requirements comply with authorized engineering specifications.
Troubleshoot production-line and acceptance-testing material issues; initiate root-cause investigations and engineering evaluations.
Coordinate with Quality Assurance to document non-conformances and provide technical justification for use-as-is or scrap decisions.
Monitor laboratory testing and pilot-scale blending and packaging, ensuring procedures are followed and equipment is calibrated as required.
Collaborate with Pantex Process Engineers on material processing requirements, production schedules, and specialized tooling.
Coordinate with design agency and production agency counterparts, including LANL, SNL, LLNL, and KCNSC, to align manufacturing plans with design intent and certification requirements.
Identify at-risk raw materials, chemical precursors, and commercial components; track risks and coordinate efforts to develop and qualify substitutes.
Plan, design, and execute experiments to characterize raw materials and evaluate long-term weapon compatibility.
Determine engineering properties and recommend process or material changes to improve performance, reduce cost, and improve manufacturing yield.
Lead projects to implement new mixing, blending, and packaging equipment or transition legacy manual processes; write and qualify operating procedures.
Participate in management self-assessments, readiness reviews, and hazard analyses before introducing materials or process changes into nuclear explosive areas.
Ensure material handling, storage, and application comply with Documented Safety Analyses and federal directives.