Fuel Materials Scientist

Protingent; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 155,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing is seeking a Principal Fuel Materials Scientist for a direct-hire opportunity in Oak Ridge, TN onsite.

You will design and execute experimental campaigns to close data gaps in thermomechanical properties of CVI SiC matrix, oversee irradiation campaigns, and drive in-house capability development from lab scale to production. The role requires deep nuclear materials expertise and experience with TRISO and ceramic systems.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a strictly related highly technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in nuclear-fuel, coated-particle, ceramic, or composite materials characterization and testing.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and transfer destructive and nondestructive characterization methods, including calibration, measurement uncertainty, detection limits, repeatability, reproducibility, and reference standards.
• Experience defining material lots, statistically defensible sampling plans, acceptance criteria, defect populations, and data-reduction methods for heterogeneous or low-defect-rate fuel products.
• Experience executing qualification work under ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B, or equivalent nuclear QA controls with specimen identity, chain of custody, data pedigree, nonconformance, and configuration management.
• Proven ability to translate process-structure-property relationships into controlled material and manufacturing specifications suitable for representative fuel production.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experimental campaigns to close qualification data gaps on thermomechanical properties of CVI SiC under extreme conditions.
• Plan fuel irradiation campaigns, modify fuel specs based on data, and oversee external fuel fabrication with vendors.
• Develop in-house capabilities for sol-gel, TRISO coating, binder-jet 3D printing, and CVI; architect scale-up from lab to production.
• Develop and validate parallel fuel characterization methods to meet regulatory standards.
• Define material attributes, process parameters, characterization methods, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria for irradiation and safety-test qualification.

Skills

Nuclear fuels

Coated-particle materials

Ceramic-matrix processing

Material characterization

Irradiation behavior

Thermophysical properties

Quality assurance

Sampling plans

Process scale-up

Education

Ph.D. preferred in Materials Science / Nuclear Engineering / Chemical Engineering

Tools

CVD/CVI systems

Sol-gel chemistry

Binder jet 3D printing

Job description

Position Title: Principal Fuel Materials Scientist

Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Principal Fuel Materials Scientist opportunity.

Job Responsibilities

• Experimental Architecture: Design and execute rigorous experimental campaigns to address qualification data gaps in the thermomechanical properties of the CVI SiC matrix under simulated extreme conditions.
• Vendor Campaign Oversight: Contribute directly to planning of fuel irradiation campaigns, make precise modifications to existing fuel specifications based on empirical data, and oversee external fuel fabrication with strategic vendors.
• In-House Capability Development: Lead the strategic roadmap for bringing critical fuel fabrication steps in-house. Develop and refine operational methodologies for sol-gel processes, TRISO particle coating, binder jet 3D printing, and internal CVI capabilities. Architect the phased transition plan from small-scale laboratory fabrication to commercial-volume process scale-up.
• Characterization: Develop and validate parallel fuel characterization methods to ensure internal processes meet strict regulatory standards.
• Materials Qualification Basis: Define the material attributes, process parameters, characterization methods, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria that demonstrate TRISO particles and ceramic-matrix fuel lots are representative, reproducible, and suitable for irradiation and safety-test qualification credit.

Job Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a strictly related highly technical discipline.
• TRISO & Ceramic Expertise: 5+ years of experience in nuclear-fuel, coated-particle, ceramic, or composite materials characterization and testing. Direct knowledge of kernel and coating-layer attributes, SiC or ceramic-matrix processing, defect mechanisms, microstructure, thermophysical properties, irradiation behavior, and high-temperature degradation.
• Method Qualification: Demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and transfer destructive and nondestructive characterization methods, including calibration, measurement uncertainty, detection limits, repeatability, reproducibility, and reference standards.
• Sampling & Lot Acceptance: Experience defining material lots, statistically defensible sampling plans, acceptance criteria, defect populations, and data-reduction methods for heterogeneous or low-defect-rate fuel products.
• Nuclear QA & Traceability: Experience executing qualification work under ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B, or equivalent nuclear QA controls with specimen identity, chain of custody, data pedigree, nonconformance, and configuration management.
• Specification & Scale-Up: Proven ability to translate process-structure-property relationships into controlled material and manufacturing specifications suitable for representative fuel production.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Direct applied experience developing chemical vapor deposition/infiltration (CVD/CVI) systems, sol-gel chemistry, or advanced binder jet 3D printing processes.
• Track record of successfully scaling complex materials manufacturing processes from R&D laboratory scale to commercial production.
• Deep materials science expertise derived from parallel, extreme-environment industries transitioning into the nuclear sector.

Job Details

• Job Type: Full-time
• Salary Range: $155-175K
• Location: Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite)

About Protingent

Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation - from software and aerospace to AI, clean tech, medical devices, and connected technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.