Lead Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer — Oak Ridge

Protingent; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 145,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent is seeking a Lead Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer in Oak Ridge, TN to lead criticality analyses for transport, storage, and handling of nuclear materials, ensuring subcriticality and regulatory compliance.

The role requires 5+ years of leadership in nuclear criticality safety, proficiency with MCNP or SCALE/KENO, and HALEU materials experience, with cross-functional coordination across design, transport, and QA teams.

Qualifications

• Requires a degree in Nuclear Engineering or Physics.
• 5+ years of nuclear criticality safety experience.
• Demonstrated ability to establish code validation and subcritical margins.
• Proficiency with MCNP and SCALE/KENO.
• Working knowledge of ANSI/ANS-8 standards and ASME NQA-1 compliance.

Responsibilities

• Execute comprehensive criticality safety analyses for the movement of fresh and irradiated fuel.
• Define and validate the geometric and moderation constraints for on-site storage of fuel.
• Model and analyze potential out-of-pile criticality accident scenarios.
• Collaborate with fuel design, performance, and transportation teams to maintain safe configurations.
• Anchor all evaluations and reports within configuration control per ASME NQA-1 and NRC standards.
• Define and approve the criticality safety basis for HALEU-bearing materials and related processes.

Skills

Criticality Safety Leadership

Validated Computational Methods

Nuclear QA & Software Controls

ASME NQA-1 & NRC Standards

Education

Degree in Nuclear Engineering or Physics

Tools

MCNP

SCALE/KENO

Job description

Protingent is seeking a Lead Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer in Oak Ridge, TN to lead criticality analyses for transport, storage, and handling of nuclear materials, ensuring subcriticality and regulatory compliance.

The role requires 5+ years of leadership in nuclear criticality safety, proficiency with MCNP or SCALE/KENO, and HALEU materials experience, with cross-functional coordination across design, transport, and QA teams.