Senior Core Design Engineer
Employer: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory · Location: United States · Posting: PNL-12078 · Type: Full-Time · Pay: $148,000-$233,900/yr
Duties
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. Responsibilities The Nuclear Engineering Group at PNNL is seeking a nuclear engineer who possesses an understanding of nuclear power plant core design and operations. This position provides expertise to the PNNL Tritium Technology Program (TTP) team and will work directly with the project collaborative partner organization, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Fuel Engineering Department. This position is onsite/hybrid in Richland, WA or Chattanooga, TN preferred; however, remote work may be considered The PNNL Tritium Technology Program provides critical technical leadership for the U.S. national security infrastructure. Established to support the National Nuclear Security Administration, the program acts as the core design authority for producing and managing tritium for national security. The program serves as the design authority for Tritium-Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (TPBARs) working closely with their partner, TVA, to safely and reliably irradiate TPBARs in Watts Bar Nuclear (WBN) Unit 1 and Unit 2 plants. The TVA PWR Fuel Engineering department directly supports the reactor core design and reload licensing analysis needs for TVA's PWR fleet, which includes Sequoyah and WBN Unit 1 and Unit 2 plants. The department provides oversight of fuel vendor neutronics, core monitoring, operations data, and safety analysis. It also supports TVA’s mission of maintaining low rates to promote economic development in the Valley by minimizing fuel costs through optimized fuel management. In addition, the department supports Governance Oversight Execution and Support (GOES) for the PWR fleet Reactor Engineering organizations and performs in-house calculations for refueling outages, including spent fuel pool criticality and decay heat analyses. Responsibilities to include: You would be involved in developing nuclear fuel and core designs, performing oversight of vendor fuel design safety limits to support the fuel reload analyses and plant operations. The specific technical responsibilities relate to tritium production in WBN Unit 1 and Unit 2 plants and are as follows: Core design development. Long term planning and budget evaluations for core designs. Evaluating program goals and changes such as loading changes and increasing tritium production. Target design inputs confirmation. Lead Use Assemblies evaluation including 50.59 and any technical reviews. Design initialization meeting support. Nuclear operations data review for long term TPBAR decay. TracWorks updates for tritium consolidation campaigns. Fuel Assembly Transfer Form development for tritium consolidation campaigns. Tritium consolidation campaign oversight (onsite, refuel floor). Development of corrective action plans. Overseeing/benchmarking code predictive capabilities. Reviewing and evaluating revised TPBAR cross sections and performing calculations to demonstrate that decay heat for tritium cores is bounded. Additionally, you will be expected to serve as a leader for the team with the following responsibilities: Responsible for contributing to projects and building a professional reputation for technical expertise, while completing recurring assignments and exercising limited judgement on work details. Required to lead specific tasks of the project to meet scope, schedule, and budget and coordinate closely with Project Managers. Required to build a network within the Technical Team and Group, begin extending this network into the National Security Directorate. Expected to provide strong technical judgement by providing solutions to an assortment of problems using conventional methods where causal relationships are progressively difficult to establish. Contribute to the development of new capabilities and proposals within the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technologies Division. Expected to work with non-sensitive, sensitive, and classified information as appropriate for individual projects and should demonstrate an ability to manage sensitive business situations and influence positive outcomes. The person in this position must recognize and accept that they will be working in technical areas associated with the National Security of the United States. Serve as a technical mentor to junior staff. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant experience -OR- PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience Preferred Qualifications: PhD degree plus 5 years of related work or educational experience. Master’s degree plus 7 years of related work or educational experience. Bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of related work or educational experience. Experience in a field directly relevant to PWR core design. Other experience in nuclear analysis is highly desirable. Ability to work with limited information to draw technically defensible conclusions that would support objectives of individual projects. Professional experience or knowledge of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or National Nuclear Security Administration practices and operations. Professional and educational experience applying qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques to nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear operation problems. Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment Not Applicable. Additional Information This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance. A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct. Requirements: U.S. Citizenship Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B. Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP). Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated. eferral Eligible” Testing Designated Position This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program. About PNNL Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them! At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs. Commitment to Excellence and Equal Employment Opportunity Our laboratory is committed to fostering a work environment where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect while solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov . Drug Free Workplace PNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn. Security, Credentialing, and Eligibility Requirements As a national laboratory, PNNL is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require new employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identify Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication. The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws. For foreign national candidates: If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) Federal risk determination to maintain
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant experience -OR- PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience Preferred Qualifications: PhD degree plus 5 years of related work or educational experience. Master’s degree plus 7 years of related work or educational experience. Bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of related work or educational experience. Experience in a field directly relevant to PWR core design. Other experience in nuclear analysis is highly desirable. Ability to work with limited information to draw technically defensible conclusions that would support objectives of individual projects. Professional experience or knowledge of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or National Nuclear Security Administration practices and operations. Professional and educational experience applying qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques to nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear operation problems.
Compensation
Minimum Salary USD $148,000.00/Yr. Maximum Salary USD $233,900.00/Yr.