Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Engineer

Idaho National Laboratory • Idaho Falls, ID

10d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Engineer in the Advanced Fuel Fabrication department at Idaho National Laboratory, you’ll collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers to develop designs that enable advanced nuclear reactor projects through multiple INL program sponsors. This position is located at our Materials and Fuels Complex, which hosts the core of the U.S. nuclear research and development capabilities with a diverse array of nuclear facilities and reactor experiment test beds. In this role you will collaborate with multiple organizations within INL and external reactor developer partners. Our team works a 4x10 schedule with every Friday off. You will work on a broad spectrum of activities in nuclear fuels and materials research, development and demonstration. Responsibilities include concept development, process qualification, and characterization to the design and assembly of irradiation experiments. Act as a principal investigator, oversee peer reviews, generate scholarly outputs, and seek new research opportunities to advance INL's mission on both national and international stages.

Requirements

• Level 3: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering or other related technical engineering degree from a program accredited by ABET and 5 years experience.
• Level 3: Master’s and 2 years of experience.
• Level 3: PhD and 2 years experience.
• Level 4: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering or other related technical engineering degree from a program accredited by ABET and 9 years experience.
• Level 4: Master’s and 6 years of experience.
• Level 4: PhD and 4 years experience.

Nice To Haves

• Have prior experience in nuclear fuel fabrication, processing, characterization, to include establishing capabilities in support of these activities.
• Have experience working in a highly regulated environment, under strict operational and process controls.
• Demonstrated track record of establishing strategic plans and subsequently delivering results against these plans.

Responsibilities

• Support and/or conduct research, development, and analysis with nuclear fuels and materials within one or more of the following technical areas: characterization, fabrication, sample preparation, instrument development, process development, and irradiation experiment design and assembly.
• Responsible for activities from the procurement of feedstock, coordination of material movements, adherence to stringent quality and safety standards, and overseeing the fuel or experiment being inserted into the reactor.
• Develop and use processes to fabricate a wide range of advanced nuclear fuels and nuclear fuels and materials experiments encompassing the full development lifecycle: process design, procurement, synthesis, production, post-processing, characterization, and novel development work associated with these activities.
• Follow through on basic project needs, including submission of input towards establishment of these needs, and subsequently acting on these requirements to develop and execute activities and processes resulting in high quality deliverables.
• Document activities, coordinate material movements, and establish multi-facility process paths, ensuring quality standards are satisfied and adherence to safety protocols.
• Serve as a principal investigator. Establish research plans, conduct research, interpret data, and provide technical leadership.
• Conduct peer reviews, and drive generation of reports, publications, proposals, and intellectual property.
• Actively seek new research opportunities, generate proposals, secure funding, and represent INL to sponsors and peers in national and international forums.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The pay range for this position is: Level 3 ($95,256 - $195,288)/Level 4 ($114,360 - $234,336).
• At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.
• TDP: This is a testing designated position; you will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug screen and periodic drug testing throughout the term of your employment.
• Multi-Level: This is a multi-level posting and you will be placed at the appropriate level dependent on depth and breadth of proven experience and skills.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level