Criticality Safety Analyst

What You Will Do

Working as a Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Analyst under the LANL NCS Program you will provide technical guidance to determine that fissionable material operations remain subcritical under normal and credible abnormal conditions. This is the job for you if you are interested in supporting a key national security mission by interfacing with customers in nuclear facilities, performing technical analyses, proposing logical arguments, and recommending NCS controls.

This position will be filled at either the Criticality Safety Analyst 1 or 2 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

As a Criticality Safety Analyst 1 you will provide technical guidance to ensure fissionable material operations remain subcritical. You will assist operating organization personnel and qualified criticality safety analysts in evaluating proposed changes to existing operations. You will also assist in preparing and presenting NCS technical reports both internally to LANL and externally to the criticality safety community (e.g., American Nuclear Society).

At the Criticality Safety Analyst 2 level you will build upon the responsibilities of Analyst 1. In addition to providing technical guidance, you will collaborate with operating organization personnel to document criticality safety evaluations for new or proposed changes, conduct periodic reviews of fissionable material operations, lead or participate in NCS responses to programmatic issues and criticality process deviations/infractions, and participate in NCS emergency response preparation.

You will also independently prepare and present NCS technical reports to LANL and the criticality safety community, and conduct NCS training for all levels of employees involved in fissionable material operations.

Minimum

Job Requirements:

• Basic knowledge of and experience with nuclear physics
• Basic knowledge of and experience with criticality safety analysis tools such as SCALE/MCNP
• Demonstrated technical writing skills and good oral communication skills

Additional Job Requirements for Criticality Safety Analyst 2:

• Prior criticality safety or related experience
• Knowledge in the discipline of NCS, including NCS evaluations, program implementation, computation tools, standards, and regulatory guidelines
• Knowledge of the ANSI/ANS 8 Series National Standards and applicable DOE Orders, Standards, and Guides
• Knowledge of the computer codes and nuclear data used for modeling and NCS analysis
• Demonstrated ability to conduct NCS evaluations on a variety of fissile/fissionable material forms
• Demonstrated experience in conducting research, investigating alternative solutions, and recommending solutions on problems affecting NCS
• Ability to conceptualize and communicate major elements of NCS to both technical and non‑technical personnel

At lower level: Position requires a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics or related discipline from an accredited institution and at least 2 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

At higher level: Position requires a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics or related discipline from an accredited institution and at least 4 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

This position may be subject to DOE Order 426.2, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities.

Criticality Safety Analyst 1:

• Working to qualify as a Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Analyst under the LANL NCS Program (compliant with ANSI/ANS 8.26)
• Experience supporting operating organization personnel in the implementation of the LANL NCS Program
• Experience assisting operating organization personnel and qualified criticality safety analysts in criticality safety evaluations for new…