Senior Associate Director, Operations and Research

Job Title

Senior Associate Director, Operations and Research

Agency

Texas A&M Engineering

Department

Nuclear Engineering and Science Center

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Why work for Texas A&M Engineering?

Engineering has been part of Texas A&M University since its opening in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Today, the College of Engineering is the largest college on the College Station campus with more than 25,000 engineering students enrolled in 15 departments. Its mission is to serve Texas, the nation and the global community by providing engineering graduates who are well-founded in engineering fundamentals, instilled with the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and prepared to meet the complex technical challenges of society.

As the research arm of Engineering, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is a state agency within the Texas A&M University System with a mission to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research, workforce development and technology transition. Our collaborations with industry, academia and government provide cutting-edge solutions to global technical challenges.

We are deeply committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce that embraces our core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Service, by offering competitive salaries, an array of benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative working community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education, research, and public service.

Job Description

Purpose:

The Nuclear Engineering & Science Center’s (NESC) Reactor Facilities play an important role in the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s (TEES) mission of performing research and leveraging expertise from universities, national laboratories, and state and federal agencies to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research. The Reactor Facilities provide support to instructional and research programs for all TAMUS colleges and departments as well as other organizations state-wide, nationally, and internationally. The two reactors are the foundation of the NESC, consisting of a 1-Megawatt TRIGA (NSCR) and a 5-Watt AGN along with associated research and service facilities and infrastructure.

The Senior Associate Director is a vital executive role, reporting to the Director, and assisting in the overall direction and management of the NESC. As such, they oversee the facility's daily operations, ensure rigorous regulatory compliance, and manage the integration of experimental research and educational activities with reactor capabilities.

Responsibilities:

1. Reactor Operations & Safety Management

• Ensure the safe, secure, and compliant operation of the reactor in accordance with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses, regulations, and technical specifications.
• Prepare materials and otherwise support the Reactor Safety Board activities.
• Assist the Director in coordination with the NRC, including regulatory communications, licensing actions, and other routine interactions.
• Collaborate with A&M System engineering and safety personnel on projects to improve the facility’s capabilities and safety.
• Other duties as assigned.

2. Research & Education Coordination

• Assist the Director, faculty, scientists, commercial partners, and or individually to develop new business opportunities for the utilization of the NESC facilities, and develop plans to integrate these activities into reactor operations.
• Oversee the allocation of experimental space and reactor use time among multidisciplinary teams.
• Establish integration activities for research programs considering scientific impact, budget, and operational constraints.

3. Compliance & Regulatory Affairs

• Manage and maintain all necessary and license-related documents, including Safety Analysis Reports, Technical Specifications, Emergency Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Physical Security Plan, Training and Requalification Plan, and Corrective Action Plans.
• Engage with the licensing engineer or consultant to prepare, and review technical specifications revisions, license amendment requests, sta