Research and Development Meteorologist

Requisition Id 8601 

Overview: 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.

 

The Collection Science and Engineering Group (CSE) of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Division (NND) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks applicants for a full-time associate staff scientist position that will focus on the development, testing, and deployment of data analysis methods for a variety of national security, proliferation detection, and nuclear forensics applications.  CSE members combine expertise in multiple aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, collector development and deployment, radiation detection, atmospheric transport and dispersion, applied mathematics, and data analytics to provide the research and development (R&D) and associatedtechnical and operational support that enables a conduct of nuclear nonproliferation missions for numerous US Government agencies. The successful applicant will work with these multidisciplinary teams to identify, develop, and implement solutions for national security challenges. In particular, this position will focus on application of data science and advanced modeling to processes and signals of interest to the nonproliferation community.

 

The NND is a division operating within the National Security Sciences Directorate at ORNL. A key mission of the NND is delivery of R&D needed to improve the protection of nuclear materials and fuel cycle technology and prevent the theft, diversion, and illicit use of those materials or technologies, while at the same time allowing for their peaceful use in the global arena. The division is responsible for a range of expertise, facilities, and equipment and applies these combined assets to address R&D and operational challenges related to nonproliferation, safeguards, treaty verification, counterproliferation, and global nuclear security. The division activities also play a vital role in implementation of national policy issues that strive to ensure global nuclear security.

 

The mission of the Collection Science and Engineering Group is to apply scientific and engineering principles to conceptualize, design, fabricate, deploy, and validate advanced collection systems.   Collection system development will be coupled with high-confidence planning and operational knowledge to enable effective validation and deployment in real-world scenarios.   The group interfaces and collaborates with facility, process, and research staff across ORNL and with elements of the chemistry and materials science missions within NND and across the broader ORNL and DOE community.  The group will collaborate strongly with analytical expertise and experimental capabilities within ORNL to ensure collection planning and execution to maximize the analytical value of the development.

 

The individual selected for this position will be responsible for interacting with division staff members inside and outside CSE, working on projects in a team environment. The successful candidate is expected to be able to participate in the development of research proposals, and report results of their work in peer-reviewed journal publications, conference papers and technical reports.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Conceptualizing and performing research on the variables associated with nuclear fuel-cycle processes; the fate, transport, dispersion, collection, and measurement of such variables; and the analysis of these data to more clearly understand the Transport and dispersion modeling
• Fate modeling of materials in the atmosphere
• Applied statistics
• Data analytics
• In-site collection of meteorological measurements
• The focus of this position will be on modeling and simulation of the fate, transport, and dispersion of applications relevant to nuclear nonproliferation.

• Develop, test, and maintain codes for these analyses
• Collect, validate, and verify meteorological and other measurement modalities
• Analyze and interpret data collected at DOE testbed facilities
• Engage programmatically and technically across the division, directorate, and laboratory to help sustain and grow ORNL impact on nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security missions.
• Must Work well both in a team environment and independently and to fully document work performed in technical reports, papers, and presentations.
• Will be responsible for contributing to and expanding CSE’s capabilities and scientific impact through proposals and other program development.
• Will support senior staff in the development and execution of projects that provide valued and timely deliverables supporting the National Security Sciences Di