Senior Nuclear Engineer

Fairygodboss; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 131,300 - 237,350; Full time

Job summary

Fairygodboss seeks a Senior Nuclear Engineer in Reston, Virginia, to support national security missions. This role involves applying nuclear engineering principles to evaluate vulnerabilities and design protective criteria for critical systems.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience, a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field, and an active TS/SCI clearance. Responsibilities include conducting analyses, preparing reports, and utilizing advanced simulations.

Competitive pay range is $131,300.00 – $237,350.00 annually.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance and U.S. citizenship required.
• Experience with nuclear weapons manufacturing and logistics.
• Strong understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle and weapon design principles.

Responsibilities

• Conduct technical analyses of facilities and production processes.
• Analyze effects of nuclear weapons on infrastructure and workflows.
• Prepare technical reports and briefings on vulnerabilities.

Skills

Technical reporting

Risk assessment methodologies

Nuclear weapons supply chains

Communication skills

Physics-based simulations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field with 12+ years of experience or Master’s with 10+ years

Tools

MCNP

SCALE

Python

MATLAB

C++

Job description

Description

The Leidos Analysis Solutions business area is seeking a Senior Nuclear Engineer to support critical national security missions in Reston, Virginia. In this role, you will apply advanced nuclear engineering principles to counterproliferation efforts and nuclear survivability (hardness) system design.

Primary Responsibilities

Counterproliferation & Defense Analytics

• Conduct high‑fidelity technical reverse‑engineering analyses and vulnerability assessments of domestic and foreign facilities, stockpiles, supply chains, and production processes.
• Support defense and intelligence partners by identifying vulnerabilities and informing strategic decision‑making.

Nuclear Hardness & Survivability

• Analyze the effects of nuclear weapons on facilities, infrastructure, equipment, and operational workflows.
• Develop protective design criteria using physics‑based models addressing radiation effects, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and related interference phenomena.

Threat Modeling & Simulation

• Utilize advanced multiphysics modeling and simulation tools to evaluate structural, thermal, and electronic degradation of nuclear‑related facilities and processes exposed to weapons effects.
• Perform computational analyses to assess system performance, resilience, and survivability.

All‑Source Intelligence Integration

• Monitor, query, and synthesize information from diverse intelligence and open‑source datasets, including GEOINT, SIGINT, and OSINT.
• Assess foreign nuclear capabilities, technological developments, and projected timelines.

Technical Reporting & Briefings

• Prepare detailed technical reports, engineering assessments, and executive‑level briefings on foreign capabilities, vulnerabilities, and engineering validation methodologies.
• Communicate complex technical findings to government stakeholders and senior leadership.

Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert within the nuclear engineering and counterproliferation domain.
• Provide technical guidance across programs and support strategic initiatives.

Required Education, Skills, and Experience

• Active and current TS/SCI clearance required, with willingness to obtain a polygraph.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience with nuclear weapons supply chains, manufacturing, fabrication, production, storage, or deployment processes and associated logistics.
• Experience assessing vulnerabilities across nuclear‑related supply chains, stockpiles, and facilities, including development of mitigation strategies and countermeasures.
• Strong understanding of fault tree analysis, hazard analysis, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Deep technical knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear weapon design principles, radiation effects on materials, and electromagnetic shielding architectures.
• Experience developing and executing physics‑based simulations using tools such as MCNP, SCALE, ORIGEN, COMSOL, and related modeling software, supplemented by data analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, or C++.
• Ability to formulate defensible judgments from incomplete or fragmented technical information and clearly communicate associated confidence levels and uncertainties.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments and defend analytical conclusions during rigorous peer review by defense and intelligence stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior leadership and clients on technical strategies, findings, and recommendations.
• Comprehensive understanding of engineering principles, theories, and concepts, and their application across multiple programs and mission areas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Military, Department of Defense (DoD), or Department of Energy (DOE) experience.
• Familiarity with Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 203 (Analytic Standards) and ICD 206 (Sourcing Requirements).
• Knowledge of protective design methodologies and hardening measures for sensitive nuclear facilities and associated processes.
• Deep understanding of EMP effects and other non‑kinetic nuclear weapons effects.

Pay Range

Pay Range $131,300.00 – $237,350.00

Commitment to Non‑Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.