Chief Safety Basis Engineer

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

life insurance

parential leave

401(k)

retirement plan

relocation assistance

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a Chief Safety Basis Engineer to oversee safety basis quality and adequacy for all nuclear facilities, including HFIR. You will serve as the senior nuclear safety engineer in ORNL's Nuclear Facility Safety Division within ESH&Q.

The role requires leading safety reviews, mentoring NFSD staff, and collaborating with management and engineers to ensure compliance with 10 CFR 830 and DOE directives, while promoting core values of safety and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Requires BS in a relevant engineering field with 12 years of experience, or MS with 10 years, or PhD with 7 years.
• Experience complying with 10 CFR 830, subpart B, across nuclear facilities.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and communication skills across management levels.

Responsibilities

• Report to the NFSD Director.
• Chair the Laboratory Facility Authorization Basis Board (LFABB).
• Provide independent technical reviews of safety basis and TSRs for all nuclear facilities at ORNL.
• Review documents related to the USQ process as required by NFSD Director.
• Lead safety analysis for HFIR reactor emergency response activation.

Skills

Leadership

Technical reviews

Stakeholder communication

Education

BS in Nuclear Eng (or related)

MS in engineering

PhD in engineering

Tools

DOE standards (10 CFR 830)

NFSD safety reviews

Job description

life insurance, parental leave, 401(k), retirement plan, relocation assistance

We are seeking a Chief Safety Basis Engineer who will primarily focus on safety basis quality and adequacy for all nuclear facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The Chief Safety Basis Engineer is the senior nuclear safety engineer within ORNL's Nuclear Facility Safety Division (NFSD). Nuclear Facilities Safety Division resides in the Environment Safety Health & Quality (ESH\&Q) Directorate at ORNL.

As part of our team, you will be given the opportunity to grow in leadership while contributing to the team environment to accomplish the tasks needed to support safe and efficient operations of the HFIR reactor and non‑reactor nuclear facilities across the ORNL compass. The successful candidate must be a leader with the ability to communicate with various levels of management and engineering disciplines, build team cohesion, and one who values diversity of opinion, education, and experiences.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Report to the NFSD Director.
• Serve as the chair of the Laboratory Facility Authorization Basis Board (LFABB).
• Provide independent technical reviews of changes to safety basis and technical safety requirement documents for all nuclear facilities at ORNL, as required by the NFSD Director.
• Provide independent technical reviews of all documents associated with the ORNL Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process, as required by the NFSD Director.
• Serve as lead safety analyst for emergency response team activation at HFIR reactor.
• Support the NFSD Director in developing strategic and tactical policies that affect the production and maintenance of safety envelopes for all ORNL nuclear facilities.
• Provide technical mentoring to all NFSD nuclear safety staff with regards to requirements within 10 CFR 830, various DOE directives, and governing standards for nuclear facility safety.
• Establish technical interface relationships for stakeholders outside NFSD.
• Assist the NFSD Director in resolving issues related to 10 CFR 830 compliance, training NFSD nuclear safety and criticality safety staff, expanding the capabilities and competence of the division.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications

• A BS degree in Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Physics, or a related engineering discipline with 12 years of experience, or
• A master's degree in an applicable engineering field with 10 years of experience, or
• A PhD in an applicable engineering field with 7 years of experience.
• Years of experience for each education level must have been in a position responsible for complying with the requirements of 10 CFR 830, subpart B.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing, leading, and motivating professional staff.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self‑starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast‑paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

Special Requirements

• Visa Sponsorship: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Q clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre‑placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT‑Battelle is an E‑Verify employer.