Senior Uranium Chemical Process Engineer

Protingent; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent is seeking a Senior Uranium Chemical Process Engineer for a direct-hire role in Oak Ridge, TN. The position focuses on designing and optimizing conversion/deconversion systems and unit operations for high-hazard processing.

You will develop flowsheets, perform mass/energy balances, support field campaigns, and ensure safe, compliant operations while driving efficiency and waste reduction. Requires strong reactor, transfer, and pilot-scale experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Chemical Engineering or closely related discipline.
• Experience in high-hazard processing environments (chemical, nuclear, materials, mining/mineral, fluorochemical).
• Hands-on experience with lab-scale to pilot-scale campaigns, startup, sampling, troubleshooting, and process adjustments.
• Strong knowledge of material and energy balances, reaction engineering, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, solids handling, and equipment sizing.

Responsibilities

• Develop process flowsheets, material and energy balances, stream tables, and design bases for conversion and deconversion systems.
• Engineer and evaluate unit operations: reaction, filtration, drying, calcination, gas handling, solids handling, and recycle systems.
• Assess scale-up challenges involving heat/mass transfer, fluid dynamics, mixing, residence time, and solids transport.
• Support equipment checkout, commissioning, experimental setup, process campaigns, sampling, troubleshooting, and data reconciliation.
• Translate process requirements into equipment sizing, operating conditions, materials-of-construction, and instrumentation specs.
• Analyze process data to improve yield, efficiency, operating stability, and waste reduction.
• Support process hazard reviews and safeguards in coordination with safety specialists.
• Maintain controlled engineering calculations and evaluate process changes for impacts on equipment, product quality, and demonstration objectives.

Skills

Process engineering

Scale-up risk assessment

Data reconciliation

Equipment sizing

Heat and mass transfer

Education

Chemical Engineering degree

Tools

Process simulation

Job description

Position Title: Senior Uranium Chemical Process Engineer

Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Senior Uranium Chemical Process Engineer opportunity.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop process flowsheets, material and energy balances, stream tables, and engineering design bases for conversion and deconversion systems.
• Engineer and evaluate unit operations, including reaction, filtration, drying, calcination, gas handling, solids handling, and recycle systems.
• Assess scale-up challenges involving heat and mass transfer, fluid dynamics, mixing, residence time, and solids transport.
• Support equipment checkout, commissioning, experimental setup, process campaigns, sampling, troubleshooting, and data reconciliation.
• Translate process requirements into equipment sizing, operating conditions, materials-of-construction, and instrumentation specifications.
• Analyze process data to improve yield, efficiency, operating stability, and waste reduction.
• Support process hazard reviews and engineering safeguards in coordination with safety specialists.
• Maintain controlled engineering calculations and evaluate process changes for impacts on equipment, product quality, and demonstration objectives.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Process engineering experience in chemical, nuclear, materials, mining/mineral, fluorochemical, or other high-hazard processing environments.
• Hands-on experience supporting laboratory, bench-scale, pilot-scale, or demonstration-facility campaigns, including startup, sampling, troubleshooting, and process adjustments.
• Strong knowledge of material and energy balances, reaction engineering, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, solids handling, and process equipment sizing.
• Ability to identify scale-up risks and determine the experiments or analyses needed to support sound engineering decisions.
• Experience preparing engineering calculations, design-basis documents, process descriptions, equipment requirements, and technical reports.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Direct experience with uranium, fluorination, UF6, oxide production, radiochemical processing, or nuclear fuel-cycle systems.
• Experience with process simulation, pilot-plant commissioning, and data reconciliation.
• Familiarity with solids processing, high-temperature systems, corrosive service, vacuum systems, and off-gas treatment.
• Working knowledge of nuclear quality and configuration-management requirements.

Job Details

• Job Type: Full-time
• Salary Range: $110-$255K
• Location: Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite)
• Due to government contract requirements, this position is restricted to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residential or GC Holder only.

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.