Senior Nonproliferation Chemist / Engineer

Requisition Id 13099 

Overview:  

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

 

We are seeking a Nonproliferation Chemist / Engineer who will work with senior chemists and chemical engineers to support the design and installation of uranium chemistry and chemical processing R&D equipment ranging in size from laboratory to engineering scales. This position mentors junior staff in the development of process flowsheets and processing equipment designs as well as R&D using the equipment.  The Nonproliferation Chemist / Engineer resides in the Material Security & Counterproliferation Group in the Materials Characterization & Modeling Section, Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, National Security Sciences Directorate, at ORNL.

 

As part of our team, you will focus on the science and technology of nuclear/chemical engineering with specific focus on applications to the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). Familiarity with the NFC, nuclear materials processing, nuclear materials handling, and nuclear materials characterization are essential skills for this position.  You will lead activities focused on the identification, assessment, analysis, and experimental testing of chemical processes with both surrogate materials and actual nuclear materials. This work will be performed as part of a multi-disciplinary team focused on the development, testing, and characterization of materials for national security purposes. 

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Perform research in areas related to modeling and assessing chemical processes related to the NFC.
• Complete experiments with surrogate materials and nuclear materials.
• Conduct research on uranium chemistry, particularly chemical conversion and separations processes pertaining to the production of engineered forms of uranium and uranium compounds used across the uranium fuel cycle.
• Prepare design documents (equipment drawings and specifications) for tracking execution schedules and costs, and for estimation of component procurement, installation, and operation costs.
• Select and configure appropriate equipment, prepare experiment and operating procedures and training modules.
• Collaborate with researchers within and outside ORNL to advance the technical and scientific missions of the group, laboratory, and sponsor.
• Prepare and present periodic reports documenting research and development activities.
• Publish papers in peer-reviewed journals, consistent with programmatic and legal restrictions regarding operational security and export control.
• Ensure compliance with environment, safety, health, and quality program requirements
• Maintain a strong dedication to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics.
• Work with, direct, and mentor postdocs, technicians, and students.
• All team members deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

 

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in chemistry, radiochemsity, nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, or related field with demonstrated experience in nuclear material processing.
• Six (6) years of experience in uranium chemical processing or chemical research including pilot-scale R&D

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• A strong grasp of the fundamentals of chemical process unit operations with emphasis on separations and chemical reaction science.
• An understanding of fundamental chemical engineering thermodynamics.
• The ability to work in chemical laboratory and processing environments with a high level of attention to detail and adherence to safe work practices that such activities demand.
• Operational familiarity with uranium processing equipment at pilot or production scales.
• The ability to conceive chemical process flowsheets and identify knowledge gaps within the fuel cycle as a whole.
• Excellent written and oral communication sk