Nuclear Engineer

Idaho National Laboratory•Idaho Falls, ID

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Nuclear Engineer works with designers, analysts, and customers to develop experimental requirements or packaging and handling requirements for spent nuclear fuel. The role applies advanced nuclear engineering principles to design, analysis, testing, inspection, fabrication, and procurement activities, and documents designs to demonstrate compliance with requirements and applicable codes and standards. Depending on assignment, the engineer may perform integrated analyses supporting irradiation experiments, facility safety bases, and spent-fuel storage, transportation, and disposal requirements. The position supports research in nuclear processes and fuel qualification, including modeling used accident-tolerant, TRISO, molten-metal, and ceramic fuels. It applies and advances modern fuel-performance codes and supports rapid code development based on accelerated testing platforms. The engineer prepares reports and peer-reviewed publications, defends analytical methods and results in reviews, and represents programs and the organization in technical presentations to sponsors, peers, and the public. The role is based at the Idaho Falls, Idaho facility and follows a 9x80 schedule, with every other Friday off. Periodic travel is required. Depending on directorate assignment, a DOE security clearance may be required; the posting also states that the employee must be a U.S. citizen and have a DOE L or Q clearance, or government equivalent.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a directly related engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program.
Level 4 experience: bachelor's degree and 9 years, master's degree and 6 years, or Ph.D. and 4 years of relevant experience.
Level 5 experience: bachelor's degree and 14 years, master's degree and 8 years, or Ph.D. and 6 years of relevant experience.
Relevant experience commensurate with the assigned level.
Substantial experience working abroad and with foreign governments.
Experience working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
U.S. citizenship.
DOE L or Q clearance, or a government-equivalent clearance.
Strong communication skills and ability to foster and grow in a team environment.
Depending on assigned directorate, ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance may be required.
Ability to perform the described work in office, laboratory, and field settings, including occasional lifting or moving of up to 25 pounds, operating job-related equipment, and driving a vehicle.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience or familiarity with International Safeguards.
Advanced degree in Nuclear Engineering or a directly related engineering field from an ABET-accredited program.

Responsibilities

Work with designers, analysts, and customers to develop experimental requirements or spent-nuclear-fuel packaging and handling requirements.
Apply advanced nuclear engineering design principles, theories, and concepts, potentially including reactor fuel and packaging.
Decompose project objectives into defined and controlled design requirements.
Select and apply appropriate design methodologies, technologies, and processes, and validate designs against requirements.
Document designs using controlled and approved models, drawings, specifications, and design descriptions to demonstrate compliance with requirements and applicable codes and standards.
Establish testing, inspection, and quality requirements to maintain technical features important to design functions.
Oversee or ensure that fabrication, construction, assembly, and procurement conform to the design.
Perform integrated analyses, as applicable, to verify experimental requirements and facility safety bases, or storage, transportation, and disposal requirements and facility safety bases.
Defend analytical methods and results in management and independent reviews.
Perform analysis and design tasks supporting project and program interactions with experiment sponsors, operations, and engineering organizations, ensuring related operations are consistent with facility authorization.
Develop physics-based mathematical models of mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems to support and verify designs.
Develop and improve models and analysis methods.
Prepare reports and peer-reviewed publications.
Represent programs, the Laboratory, and the Division or Department through programmatic and technical presentations to the public, sponsors, and peers at conferences and symposia.
Participate in professional development to keep current with industry developments and improve proficiency in applications to irradiation experiments.
Maintain familiarity with and technical understanding of codes and standards applicable to the discipline.
Analyze irradiation experiments conducted in nuclear reactors.
Conduct nuclear-process research, including fuel qualification and modeling used accident-tolerant, TRISO, molten-metal, and ceramic fuels, applying modern performance codes to existing programmatic efforts.
Support transformational fuel qualification, particularly rapid development of fuel-performance codes based on accelerated testing platforms.
Complete initial and annual role-specific information-security and privacy training, sign required access agreements, and comply with applicable security and privacy policies and procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.