Radiobioassay Counting Room Technical Specialist

Requisition Id 12981 

Overview:

The Nuclear and Radiological Protection Division (NRPD) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks a Technical Specialist for the Radiobioassay Counting Laboratory within the Nuclear Measurements and Analytical Services Group.  ORNL is a world leader in advanced science and technology research involving several nonreactor nuclear facilities, accelerators, and the High Flux Isotope reactor which involve a complex range of internal and external radiological hazards that are managed to protect more than 3,000 researchers and operations staff involved in the Nuclear Research and Isotope Production Mission.  The Nuclear Measurements and Analytical Services Group is responsible for maintaining Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) accreditation for in vivo and in vitro analytical programs as an essential part of the ORNL Radiological Protection Program.  The primary focus of this position is to provide technical direction for the radiobioassay counting lab for in vitro radiochemical analyses to provide timely, reliable, and consistently high-quality analytical results necessary for occupational radiological internal dose assessment.
 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The Technical Specialist position requires a solid understanding of safe work practices for radiochemistry and low-level radiation detection/counting principles.  The position is responsible as the subject matter expert for ensuring that all counting room instrumentation is maintained, calibrated, and upgraded as necessary.  Instrumentation includes alpha spectrometry, gamma spectrometry, multi-chamber low background gas flow proportional counters, liquid scintillation counting systems, and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP/MS).  The Technical Specialist also serves as the supervisor for the radiobioassay counting lab staff and provides day-to-day direction of all counting lab operations.

 

Specific responsibilities include:

• Coordinating daily counting operations to help ensure timely sample analysis.
• Maintaining the calibration, reliability, and performance of the Canberra AMS alpha spec system (over 100 chambers), Genie gamma spectroscopy system, Apex Alpha/Beta gas flow proportional counters, and PerkinElmer Tri-carb liquid scintillation counters.
• Coordinating system upgrades of counting instruments, including the development of system configurations, procedures, performance verification, and implementation.
• Managing data analysis and exchange between instrumentation and the radiobioassay laboratory information management system (LIMS).
• Periodically reviewing and updating operating procedures and technical basis documentation to meet ORNL and group quality assurance requirements.
• Reviewing and approving sample measurement data and interfacing with other Radiobioassay staff to resolve issues.
• Reviewing QC data and publishing quality assurance summaries for laboratory status reports.
• Participating in group discussions and planning to ensure that counting capabilities remain aligned with sample preparation.
• Developing and maintaining work safety documentation for laboratory operations, and associated procedures and documentation.
• Coordinating records generation, handling, and disposition.
• 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.

Required Qualifications: 

• BS in chemistry, physics, health physics, or a related technical field
• Two or more years radioanalytical counting laboratory experience.
• In-depth understanding of nuclear counting concepts and methods, including alpha and gamma spectrometry, gas flow proportional, and liquid scintillation systems.
• Basic skill and working knowledge of Microsoft Windows software, e.g., Word and Excel.
• Excellent organization, communication, writing, and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to interface with senior technical staff and customers from varied disciplines and backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced science or engineering degree in a directly related discipline (e.g., radiochemistry, health physics, etc.) is a plus, and will be given appropriate consideration in lieu of experience.
• Prior radiochemistry experience.
• Advanced computing skills, including data reduction, analysis, and presentation. 
• Experience configuring and using Canberra alpha and gamma spectrometry systems.
• Familiarity with documenting system configuration changes.
<