Nuclear Engineer

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to take on complex, real-world threats to our nation and the world.

The Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technologies Division, within the National Security Directorate, works across fundamental science, research and development, and operations to counter emerging national security threats. We focus on discovering signatures and understanding threats by creating materials, methods, and technologies to detect and analyze them. Our researchers deliver the solutions necessary for addressing complex mission challenges, such as explosives detection, biological threat detection, chemical and nuclear forensics, and special nuclear materials.

This position is responsible for interfacing with internal customers, presenting research results to the technical community, planning work, developing teams, executing work scope, and preparing quality deliverables on time. The successful candidate will also be expected to work effectively with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, be self-motivated, and have excellent communication skills. It is essential that they have the ability to multitask and work both independently and in a team environment.

This position will be expected to work with non-sensitive, sensitive, and classified information as appropriate for individual projects. The person in this position must recognize and accept that they may at times be working in technical areas associated with topics related to the National Security of the United States. Furthermore, the role may involve interactions with legal and regulatory bodies, and as such, the candidate must be able to navigate and collaborate with these groups effectively.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Designs, develops, and analyzes components utilized in nuclear applications and nuclear non-proliferation, such as reactor fuel, reactor cores, radiation shielding, and instrumentation.
• Researches and develops analytical methods and technologies supporting all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including R&D activities related to storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and long-term performance of waste forms.
• Supports nuclear regulatory work, risk-informed nuclear regulatory analysis, and probabilistic risk analysis.
• Addresses facility and process safety needs, principally in the area of nuclear-related construction, operation, and decommissioning.
• Development and application of radioactive materials, radioactive isotopes, and radiation-generating devices.
• Studies the effects of interactions of radiation with materials, including biological effects.
• Researches, evaluates, and controls health hazards to permit the safe use of ionizing radiation. Investigates principles by which radiation interacts with matter and living systems.
• Studies environmental levels of radioactivity and the effects of radiation on biological systems on Earth and in space. Applies knowledge of radiation physics, health physics, biology, instrumentation, and computational modeling in laboratory and field settings to ensure that radiation exposure to researchers, students, industrial workers, patients, and the public is minimized and in compliance with regulations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant experience – OR –
• MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant experience – OR –
• PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited engineering program, preferably Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering,…