Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Engineer

Idaho National Laboratory; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 95,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with employer contribution and

Paid time off

Comprehensive Relocation Package

Education assistance

Job summary

Idaho National Laboratory seeks a Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Engineer in the Advanced Fuel Fabrication department at the Materials and Fuels Complex in Idaho Falls.

You will collaborate with world-class scientists to develop designs for advanced reactor projects, manage fabrication processes, and ensure safety and quality across multiple sponsors. Opportunity involves PI work, peer reviews, and ongoing proposals.

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited engineering degree required.
• Experience: Level 3 requires 5 years; Level 4 requires 9 years; advanced degrees adjust accordingly.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research, development, and analysis of nuclear fuels and materials in specified technical areas.
• Oversee procurement, material movement, and adherence to quality and safety standards; manage fuel/experiment insertion into reactor.
• Develop fabrication processes for advanced fuels and materials through all development stages.
• Follow project needs, draft inputs, and execute activities to deliver high-quality results.
• Document activities, coordinate material movements, and establish cross-facility process paths ensuring safety and quality.
• Serve as principal investigator: plan research, conduct work, interpret data, and provide technical leadership.
• Conduct peer reviews, and drive reports, proposals, and IP generation.
• Seek new research opportunities, generate proposals, secure funding, and represent INL publicly.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Research analysis

Collaboration

Technical leadership

Documentation

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Job description

Job Description

As a Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Engineerin the Advanced Fuel Fabrication department at Idaho National Laboratory, you’ll collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers to develop designs that enable advanced nuclear reactor projects through multiple INL program sponsors. This position is located at our Materials and Fuels Complex, which hosts the core of the U.S. nuclear research and development capabilities with a diverse array of nuclear facilities and reactor experiment test beds. In this role you will collaborate with multiple organizations within INL and external reactor developer partners. Our team works a 4x10 schedule with every Friday off.

Responsibilities

• Support and/or conduct research, development, and analysis with nuclear fuels and materials within one or more of the following technical areas: characterization, fabrication, sample preparation, instrument development, process development, and irradiation experiment design and assembly.
• Responsible for activities from the procurement of feedstock, coordination of material movements, adherence to stringent quality and safety standards, and overseeing the fuel or experiment being inserted into the reactor.
• Develop and use processes to fabricate a wide range of advanced nuclear fuels and nuclear fuels and materials experiments encompassing the full development lifecycle: process design, procurement, synthesis, production, post-processing, characterization, and novel development work associated with these activities.
• Follow through on basic project needs, including submission of input towards establishment of these needs, and subsequently acting on these requirements to develop and execute activities and processes resulting in high quality deliverables.
• Document activities, coordinate material movements, and establish multi-facility process paths, ensuring quality standards are satisfied and adherence to safety protocols.
• Serve as a principal investigator. Establish research plans, conduct research, interpret data, and provide technical leadership.
• Conduct peer reviews, and drive generation of reports, proposals, and intellectual property.
• Actively seek new research opportunities, generate proposals, secure funding, and represent INL to sponsors and peers in national and international forums.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Level 3: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering or other related technical engineering degree from a program accredited by ABET and 5 years experience. Master’s and 2 years of experience. PhD and 2 years experience.
• Level 4: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering or other related technical engineering degree from a program accredited by ABET and 9 years experience. Master’s and 6 years of experience. PhD and 4 years experience.

Preferred

• Have prior experience in nuclear fuel fabrication, processing, characterization, to include establishing capabilities in support of these activities.
• Have experience working in a highly regulated environment, under strict operational and process controls.
• Demonstrated track record of establishing strategic plans and subsequently delivering results against these plans.

Job Information

• The pay range for this position is: Level 3 ($95,256 - $195,288)/Level 4 ($114,360 - $234,336). At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.
• TDP: This is a testing designated position; you will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug screen and periodic drug testing throughout the term of your employment.
• Multi-Level: This is a multi-level posting and you will be placed at the appropriate level dependent on depth and breadth of proven experience and skills.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, and work in an office and field/laboratory environment. The job requires hand/finger dexterity to keyboard or type, handle materials, manipulate tools, and reach with hands and arms. The job requires the operation of job-related equipment and driving a vehicle. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds without assistance. Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform the essential functions and interact with the public is required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

About Us

INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's mission in nuclear energy research, science, and national defense. With more than 6,300 scientists, researchers, and support staff, the laboratory works with national and international governments, universities and industry partners to change the world's energy future and secure our nation's critical infrastructure.

Benefits and Relocation

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k) with a 4.2% employer contribution and up to 4.8% match (regular positions) or self-contribute access (postdoctoral positions)
• Paid time off (personal leave)
• Employee Education Program (tuition assistance for eligible positions)
• Comprehensive Relocation Package
• Benefit eligibility subject to multiple factors, including employment status and position classification.

At this time, BEA will not sponsor any H1-B visas obtained outside of the United States of America (U.S.A.), including consular visas.

INL Mission

Our mission is to discover, demonstrate and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options and critical infrastructure.

INL Vision

Our vision is to change the world's energy future and secure our nation's critical infrastructure.

Selective Service Requirements

To be eligible for employment at INL males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). For more information see www.sss.gov .

Equal Employment Opportunity

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of INL to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodation

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.