Senior Core Physics and Radiation Protection Engineer

Thorizon’ group; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Innovative work environment

Opportunity for professional development

Job summary

Thorizon’ group is seeking a core physics expert to enhance reactor design studies in Amsterdam, Netherlands. You will leverage your skills in radiation protection and criticality to support innovation in nuclear safety.

The ideal candidate has at least 8 years of experience, holds a Master’s or PhD in science or engineering, and is proficient in scientific computing tools. Join us to lead impactful projects at the frontier of nuclear technology.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in core physics and criticality analysis.
• Experience with multidisciplinary code coupling.
• Strong command of Linux and shell scripting.

Responsibilities

• Set up core physics computational train using probabilistic and deterministic approaches.
• Contribute to safety case definition.
• Automate studies and facilitate team problem-solving.

Skills

Core physics simulations

Radiation protection

Criticality analysis

Linux proficiency

Scientific computing (Python, MATLAB)

Communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in science or engineering

PhD in relevant field

Tools

MCNP

SCALE

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Your mission

Are you passionateabout core physics, radiationprotectionand criticality?Are you motivated to apply yourexpertiseandknow-howto the ongoing design studies for the Thorizon One reactor?Are you passionate about designingcutting-edgeneutronicssystems and solving complex engineering challenges?Do you get energized when working oninnovative solutions?You will be a major contributorofthecore physics, radiation protection, and criticalityexpertisecenter, whose primary missions are, on the one hand, to provide comprehensive support and expertise in this area to the system design teams incharge of thefuel cycle, thereactordesign and safety studies and, on the other hand, to define, execute, and adapt where needed the validation programusingexperiments carried out through shared initiatives, designed to ultimately prove that the innovations in our solution are feasible within the performance, cost, and time constraints of our project.Within this general frameworkyou will develop methods and tools to performcore physics, radiationprotectionand criticalitystudies,possibly incollaboration withexternal specialists, performhigh qualitystudies with theappropriate computationaltools, andvalidatethe computational tools. In your role, you can carry out an analysisto meet anycore physics, radiationprotectionand criticalityneeds for Thorizon projects (Pioneer nuclear demonstrator design, FOAK/NOAK design), including budget, planning, tools selection, calculations, report issuance. You interacteasily with other areas of expertise (such as nuclear safety,thermal-hydraulics,chemistryand mechanics). Your level ofexpertiseallows you to prioritize based on the importance of the needs, and as an expert, you have the power to recommend any necessary actions for the project related to your area of expertise. Furthermore, youparticipatein external networks, including international initiatives, to stay at the forefront of industry developments. In this environment, you get the unique opportunity toput your knowledge to the best use,develop your ideas,andexplore various aspects of thermal-hydraulics engineering. This role is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands or in Lyon, France.

In this role you will:

• Set up an effective core physics computational train, using both probabilistic(MCNP, SERPENT for example)and deterministic approaches(APOLLO3, SCALE for example), as well asprovidingnumerical/physicalinsights and practical approachestoestablishappropriatecouplingwiththermal-hydraulicsfor effective transient analyses.
• Set up core radiation protection or criticality models for simulation of shutdown, storage,handlingand transport
• Set up andmaintainscientific computing environments on Linux, including installing and configuring scientific software, libraries, and data analysis tools.
• Automate the studies and their pre- and post-processing.
• Contribute to definition and justification of the safety case.
• Contribute to orestablisheffectiveexchangewith other codes and results from other disciplines, such as thermal-hydraulics, salt compositionchemistryand structural mechanics.
• Participate in specifying, selecting, and managing external contractors and suppliers that support the project.
• Guide junior colleagues in the samediscipline, andshare your knowledge with your teammates.
• Create transparency on development progress,identifyissues andchallenges,andpropose solutions that will help team problem-solving and designiteration.
• Implement a learning loop and ensure lessons learned are systematicallyintegrated in way of working and the design itself.
• Contribute to the definition, execution, and adaptationwhere neededofthe validation programusingexperiments, designed toultimately provethat the innovations in our solution arefeasiblewithin the performance, cost, and time constraints of our project. This program includes thequalificationof thecore physics, radiationprotectionand criticalityComputational Tools to be used for design and safety, applying national (e.g., ASNR guide 28) or international (IAEA in particular) approaches.
• Participate in meetings with regulators with the aim of defending in-house positions and contribute tomaintainingan active dialogue with regulators (in particular ASNR, ANVS and FANC).
• Be involved in various international initiatives (IAEA, Euratom…) dedicated toyourdiscipline.
• Stay updated on industry trends and advancements in approaches, methodologies,Computational Tools incore physics, radiationprotectionand criticality.
• Report tothe Core Physicslead, andworkin different project teams.

About you:

• You have a master’sdegreeor a PhDin science or engineering, experience in the nuclear field ismandatory.
• You have minimum 8 years of proven experience in core physics,radiation protectionandcriticalitysimulations and analyses. A PhD is regardedasworkexperience, ifthe subject of study is relevant to the job position.
• You have experience withmultidisciplinarycode couplingfrom the fundamental data tothereal worldapplicationand (simulation) experiencein other disciplines is regarded a plus.
• You know the MSR specificities related tocore-physics,radiationprotectionand criticality.
• You haveproficiencyin Linux(Ubuntu, CentOS, Fedora, etc.) with strong command-line skills and knowledge of shell scripting.
• You have experience with scientific computing toolslike Python, R, MATLAB, SciPy, NumPy, or similar libraries.
• You have a good knowledge ofnational orinternational (IAEA, NRC, ASNR or other) standards on scientific computing tool qualification.
• You have strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with drive for quality and accuracy.
• You get inspired by an organisation with a large variety of people, with different experiences and background.
• You are eager to learn and like challenges.
• You are creative and innovative: You rethink issues to find practical solutions to difficultproblemsand youdemonstrateagility by minimizing complexity. You have a pragmatic and constructive mindset.
• You have a good sense of judgement: you think strategically (in your field and taking into accountall the dimensions of the project), and you know how to prioritise your actions according to the key issues at stake.
• You have excellent communication skills: you listen before you react, you are concise, you treat people with respect, you keep calm in stressful situations, you have excellent writing skills. You are an excellent communicator in English, and preferably also French or Dutch, both spoken and written.
• You create impact: your productions are models for your colleagues.