Senior Nuclear Reactor & Fuel Cycle Engineer

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Plan

Vision Plan

Relocation Assistance

Educational Assistance

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a PhD-level nuclear engineer to design, develop, and analyze reactor models using SCALE, VERA, MCNP, Serpent, OpenMC and MOOSE. You will also develop fuel cycle models to evaluate advanced strategies for next‑generation reactors.

You will interact with staff scientists, manage scope and budgets, publish results, and mentor early career staff. Emphasis on safety, integrity, and collaboration across teams in Oak Ridge, TN.

Qualifications

• PhD in nuclear engineering or closely related field; 2–5 years of post‑graduate experience.
• Knowledge of nuclear reactor analysis R&D as demonstrated through research/publications.
• Experience using SCALE, VERA, MCNP, Serpent, OpenMC, and/or MOOSE; familiarity with reactor systems/concepts.
• Programming/scripting in one or more of C/C++, Python, Fortran; Git and CMake are assets.
• Strong writing and communication skills with ability to publish.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, optimize and analyze reactor models using SCALE, VERA, OpenMC, MCNP, Serpent, MOOSE to support next‑gen reactor design.
• Develop and analyze fuel cycle models using Cyclus to evaluate advanced fuel cycle strategies.
• Collaborate across organization structures with staff scientists and engineers; represent ORNL with sponsors and the professional community.
• Conduct work on scope and budget; communicate work through journal articles, presentations, reports, and code documentation.
• Mentor early career staff; engage with scientific societies; pursue funding proposals to DOE and other government agencies.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors with core values; promote equal opportunity and a respectful workplace.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Writing and publishing

Mentoring

Education

PhD in nuclear engineering

Tools

SCALE

VERA

MCNP

Serpent

OpenMC

MOOSE

C/C++

Python

Fortran

Git

CMake

Job description

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a PhD-level nuclear engineer to design, develop, and analyze reactor models using SCALE, VERA, MCNP, Serpent, OpenMC and MOOSE. You will also develop fuel cycle models to evaluate advanced strategies for next‑generation reactors.

You will interact with staff scientists, manage scope and budgets, publish results, and mentor early career staff. Emphasis on safety, integrity, and collaboration across teams in Oak Ridge, TN.