Principal Reactor Fuel Engineer

Protingent; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing seeks a Principal Reactor Fuel Engineer to lead statistical programs for fuel qualification, uncertainty quantification, and model validation at a direct-hire level in Oak Ridge, TN. You will define sampling plans, evaluate defect fractions, and support licensing with rigorous data analysis and documentation.

The role requires an advanced quantitative degree and 5+ years in nuclear fuel or related safety-critical programs, along with strong statistical method development and

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a quantitative field.
• 5+ years of experience in nuclear fuel, materials qualification, reliability, manufacturing qualification, or safety-critical programs.
• Experience in design of experiments, acceptance sampling, uncertainty propagation, reliability methods, statistical inference, and model calibration or validation.
• Experience developing statistical methods before data collection and defending conclusions based on sparse, censored, zero-failure, or heterogeneous datasets.
• Proficiency with controlled statistical-computing workflows and documenting calculations, software, data transformations, assumptions, and reviews.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Fuel Qualification Statistics and Uncertainty Plan, including confidence, acceptance probabilities, decision rules, and concurrency points.
• Establish defensible sample sizes and population definitions for kernels, TRISO particles, FCM pellets, and irradiation specimens.
• Define methods for estimating defect and fuel-failure fractions, including censored data handling.
• Establish uncertainty budgets for characterization, irradiation conditions, measurements, materials properties, and safety testing.
• Define statistical requirements for model calibration, validation, bias evaluation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty propagation.
• Develop design-of-experiments, process-capability, and sampling plans to demonstrate qualification lots represent repeatable production-intent fuel.
• Review data exclusions, outliers, missing data, and extrapolations; craft clear uncertainty statements for licensing documents.

Skills

Design of experiments

Uncertainty propagation

Statistical inference

Model calibration

Data analysis workflows

Technical writing

Education

Advanced degree in Statistics or related quantitative field

Job description

Position Title: Principal Reactor Fuel Engineer Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Principal Reactor Fuel Engineer opportunity.

Job Responsibilities

• Qualification Statistics Strategy: Develop and maintain Fuel Qualification Statistics and Uncertainty Quantification Plan, including required confidence, acceptance probabilities, decision rules, and independent concurrence points.
• Sampling & Population Definition: Establish statistically defensible sample sizes and population definitions for kernels, TRISO particles, FCM pellets, manufacturing lots, irradiation specimens, PIE populations, and safety-test specimens.
• Defect & Failure Fractions: Define methods for estimating exposed-kernel, defective-SiC, particle-failure, fuel-failure, and fission-product-release fractions, including treatment of zero-failure and censored datasets.
• Measurement Uncertainty: Establish uncertainty budgets for characterization, irradiation conditions, PIE measurements, materials properties, safety testing, and derived qualification parameters.
• Model Validation & UQ: Define statistical requirements for model calibration, validation, bias evaluation, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty propagation, applicability limits, and comparison with experimental evidence.
• Manufacturing Demonstration: Develop design-of-experiments, process-capability, variability, sampling, and acceptance methods that demonstrate qualification lots represent repeatable production-intent fuel.
• Data Review & Regulatory Support: Review proposed data exclusions, outliers, missing data, anomalous observations, and extrapolations; author clear statistical conclusions and uncertainty statements for qualification and licensing documents.

Job Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree in Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Reliability Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related quantitative discipline.
• Materials Qualification: 5+ years of experience supporting nuclear fuel, materials qualification, reliability, manufacturing qualification, model validation, or another safety-critical technical program.
• Demonstrated expertise in design of experiments, acceptance sampling, uncertainty propagation, reliability methods, statistical inference, and model calibration or validation.
• Development of Statistical Approaches: Experience in developing statistical methods before data collection and defending conclusions based on sparse, censored, zero-failure, or heterogeneous datasets.
• Proficiency with controlled statistical-computing workflows and the ability to document calculations, software, data transformations, assumptions, and independent reviews.
• Technical Reporting and Documentation: Strong technical writing and communication skills, including the ability to translate statistical limitations into clear engineering, safety, and regulatory decisions.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Direct experience with TRISO, FCM, HTGR, advanced nuclear fuel, or high-temperature ceramic qualification.
• Experience estimating low-probability defect or failure fractions at regulator-relevant confidence levels.
• Familiarity with ASME NQA-1, nuclear software quality assurance, configuration control, and regulator-facing technical reports.
• Experience integrating manufacturing process capability, experimental uncertainty, and model-form uncertainty into qualification decisions.

Job Details

Job Type: Direct Hire Salary Range: $150-170k 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.