Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer

Position Overview

• Location Type: Remote
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Salary: Not specified

A nuclear criticality safety engineer at Oklo is responsible for performing criticality safety evaluations for nuclear reactor and fuel cycle facilities.

Responsibilities

• Identifying and evaluating nuclear criticality safety (NCS) hazards for fuel cycle facilities.
• Performing criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) to demonstrate subcriticality under normal and credible abnormal conditions.
• Developing the criticality code validation report.
• Demonstrating compliance with the double-contingency principle.
• Documenting criticality hazard analyses, CSEs, and supporting technical information.
• Evaluating and implementing controlled parameters for the NCS program.
• Developing the criticality accident alarm system and inadvertent criticality emergency response plan.
• Performing radiation shielding analysis to demonstrate adequate radiation mitigation.
• Supporting development of shielding systems.
• Supporting safety basis development and licensing efforts.
• Administering the NCS program, methodologies, and management measures.

Requirements

• Knowledge of nuclear science, physics of criticality, and chemistry.
• Knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear fuel cycle facility accident scenarios.
• Ability to perform criticality calculations by hand or using criticality codes (e.g., SCALE, MCNP) for CSEs.
• Familiarity with critical experiments and their purpose.
• Knowledge of criticality-specific codes, standards, regulatory requirements, and industry practices for nuclear fuel cycle facilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, or chemistry.
• Experience performing CSEs as a part of a nuclear facility safety basis.
• Proficient with MCNP and SCALE codes.

Bonus Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience performing criticality safety evaluations for an NRC licensed fuel cycle facility.
• Familiarity with NUREG-1513, NUREG-1520, NUREG/CR-6410, NUREG/CR-6698, and NRC RG 3.71.
• Familiarity with ANSI/ANS-8 national standards.

Who You Are

• Startup Person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.
• Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.
• Team Player: Oklo genuinely values teamwork and collaboration.