Nuclear Fuel Development Engineer

As a Nuclear Fuel Development 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. 

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 highquality 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.

Minimum Requirements:

• Level 2: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering or other related technical engineering degree from a program accredited by ABET and 2 years experience. Master’s and 0 years of experience. PhD and 0 years experience.
• 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. Master’s and 2 years of experience. PhD and 2 years experience.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy "L" clearance, which requires US Citizenship.

Preferred:

• Must have a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental science, theories and application needs such that the invoked approaches constitute technical best practices. 
• Must have a sound knowledge of other related science or technical disciplines with the ability to effectively implement this knowledge to support the successful execution of assigned work and the development of new work.
• Must have effective collaboration and communication skills to organize cross-functional teams to meet project requirements.

Job Information:

• The pay range for this position is: Level 2 ($79,344 - $162,732)/ Level 3 ($95,256 - $195,288). At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials. *Salary Grade 440/450
• 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.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, and work in an office and field/laboratory environment. The job requires hand/finger dexterity to keyboard or type, handle materials, manipulate tools, and reach with hands and arms. The job requires the operation of job-related equipment and driving a vehicle. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds without assistance. Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform the essential functions and interact with the public is required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.