Radioisotope Power Systems Sciences; Scientist

This position is open for external candidates only to apply.

Join the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Design Engineering team, a hub for expertise in radioisotope power system design, where you will contribute to advancing the nation's capabilities in actinide chemistry, materials science of ceramics, high-temperature metallurgy, composite engineering, thermal and structural analysis, re-entry and impact modeling, systems engineering, and safety analysis. The RPS Design Engineering Team is a part of the Product Realization and Reliability Office (PRRO) in Nuclear Production Operations.

The PRRO consists of a multidisciplinary group of engineers and scientists that support plutonium programs (i.e., pit production, surveillance, research & development, and subcritical experiments) across the entire Nuclear Production Operations organization.

As a member of our RPS Design Engineering Team, you'll work alongside a talented group of engineers and scientists supporting plutonium programs across the organization. You'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in radioisotope power system design and contribute to the nation's technical expertise.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Lead the design of heat source fuel pellets of various form factors
• Lead improvements and optimization of heat source production processes
• Working with radioactive materials or hazardous materials
• Applying scientific or engineering principles, practices, and tools to continuously improve manufacturing processes.
• Contributing to the successful completion of technical projects by assisting in the analysis, validation, implementation, and verification of practical solutions, and applying novel problem-solving methods to solve engineering problems
• Assisting in the writing of technical documents and presenting technical work at internal and external meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Working with radioactive materials or hazardous materials

We value diverse skills and experience, so don't hold back. Your specific qualification could add tremendous value to our team. Our production partners come from all different backgrounds, and so do our employees. If you're passionate about what you could accomplish here, we'd love to hear from you.

• Thorough training and experience in ceramic engineering or ceramic fabrication, as demonstrated by experience in research, analysis, and publications in the field.
• Analytical thinking skills, including advanced experience in the analysis, manipulation, and interpretation of data.
• Experience documenting technical results in a formal method/format
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Strong presentation skills
• Ability to obtain a Q clearance, which requires US citizenship

Position requires a Master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution and 6 years of related experience

• Demonstrated experience in designing and executing experiments in radiochemistry
• Experience with gas management in nuclear fuels
• Experience with modelling of density gradients and thermal loading in ceramic solids, in particular nuclear fuels.
• Post-doctoral experience in a STEM field

• The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this…