Senior Nuclear Effects Engineer

The Mitre Corporation•New Bedford, VA

4d•$126,800 - $190,200•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE's Nuclear Weapon Systems and C2 Platforms Department is seeking a lead senior engineer to contribute to understanding the effects of natural radiation and nuclear events on relevant systems. The department supports the evolution of U.S. nuclear deterrent capabilities through threat-informed modernization recommendations, prototypes, and analyses that advance warfighter capabilities and the cost-effective modernization of Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) and Nuclear Weapon Systems. The role supports design and mitigation strategies for developing and fielding survivable weapon systems that meet operational requirements in nuclear threat environments, including electromagnetic pulse, ionizing radiation, thermal radiation, air blast, and radiological exposure. The engineer will analyze effects on aircraft, spacecraft, and communications systems; support system-level design, analysis, and testing; assess system responses and survivability; and contribute to compliance and certification documentation. This position requires an onsite presence of at least four days per week, with the ability to work onsite five days per week listed as a preferred qualification.

Requirements

Typically, at least 5 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree; 3 years with a master's degree; or a PhD with relevant experience and the ability to contribute immediately at this job step; an equivalent combination of related education and work experience is also accepted.
Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of particle physics, solar physics, or nuclear physics.
Strong mathematical and statistical background.
Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance; the hired candidate must have or obtain it within one year of hire.
U.S. citizenship required.
Ability to travel up to 20% as needed.
Onsite presence of at least four days per week.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Physics, Engineering, or a related field.
Active DoD Secret or Top Secret clearance.
Nuclear Command, Control and Communications weapon system survivability design experience.
Analysis experience with radiation environments, including man-made and natural space environments.
Experience leading technical projects in nuclear physics.
Experience with transport problems in the atmosphere or within structures.
Experience or familiarity with DODI 3150.09, MIL-STD-1766, AFWL-TR-86-26, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-3023, MIL-STD-2169, MIL-STD-461, MIL-HDBK-814, MIL-HDBK-815, MIL-HDBK-816, MIL-HDBK-817, and MIL-STD-3054.
Experience or familiarity with ANSYS (EMC Plus, Charge Plus), CST, FEKO, MATLAB, SPIET-D, ASSIST, NORSE, FAB4DA, MCNP, CEPXS, IRENE, or similar engineering software and tools.
Ability to be onsite five days per week.

Responsibilities

Analyze nuclear effects on aircraft, spacecraft, and communications systems to support system-level nuclear-hardness design, analysis, and testing.
Generate weapon system design criteria supported by design analysis, modeling and simulation, equipment and system-level trade studies, system integration, and piece-part, component, equipment, and system test artifacts.
Analyze, evaluate, or validate components, equipment, subsystems, analytical models, and actual weapon system implementations for compliance with operationally relevant nuclear threat environments.
Contribute to and review NH&S Design Analysis Reports and nuclear-hardness system test plans and reports documenting equipment compliance and weapon system certification.
Conduct design evaluations and provide technical assessments of system survivability by analyzing system responses to nuclear events using internally developed and third-party software and physics codes.
Perform technical planning, derive specification requirements, and support testing, analysis, design, documentation, and requirements validation for overall system compliance.
Evaluate uncertainty and risks associated with radiation-hardness requirements and design mitigation strategies.