Advanced Nuclear Fuels Engineer

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Overview

This position is part of the Amentum support to the NASA EM32 Advanced Metals Processing & Technologies Team under the Engineering Services and Science Capability Augmentation (ESSCA) contract to the NASA MSFC Engineering Directorate. The following position involves nuclear fuel design, fabrication, and development to support NASA's Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Program. The opening emphasizes on research, design, material property collection and testing of materials of interest at elevated temperatures and under a hot hydrogen environment.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the engineer are to:

• Works with other researchers to create fuel development plans and execute miscellaneous research activities with other collaborators.
• Performs synthesis of materials of interest for space nuclear propulsion including nuclear fuels, refractory metals, and ceramic materials.
• Operates equipment and coordinates annual maintenance on facility equipment and miscellaneous systems.
• Comply with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) safety guidelines and protocols in radiological laboratories.
• Presents research findings including scientific data to peers, managers, and outside collaborators.
• Ability to interact with senior level management and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to write research plans, technical reports, and research proposals to increase collaborations internally, with private sector, and academia.
• Effectively solve complex engineering challenges with both analytical and experimental approaches.

Minimum Requirements

Master's degree in materials science, nuclear engineering, ceramics, or closely related field (recent grads are welcome to apply).

Preferred Requirements

Enrollment (either full or part-time) or completion of Doctoral degree (Ph.D) in nuclear engineering, materials science, ceramics, or closely related field.

Experience with high temperature furnaces.

Experience with high temperature materials (carbide materials, ultra-high temperature-ceramics).

Previous experience handling radiological materials (uranium) in powder form including familiarization with processes including powder milling, rotary evaporation, and consolidation.

Previous internship experience at NASA centers.

Previous internship experience at U.S. Department of Energy Laboratories (Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, etc.).

Metallographic sample preparation.

Materials characterization (X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy).

Develop and execute design of experiments.

Ability to write proposals and manuscripts.

Essential Functions

Work Environment: General office environment (50%), nuclear materials laboratory environment (50%).

Requires ability to interact effectively with co-workers, managers, and clients.

Requires ability to provide clear, concise, and accurate communications, both verbally and in writing (50%).

Travel may be necessary, but infrequent (<5%).

Physical Requirements: Requires sitting for extended periods of time in meetings with peers, management, and with our client at MSFC facilities to discuss technical issues (25%).

Requires sitting at a desk to write reports and perform engineering task activities (25%).

Requires standing, sitting and walking in a lab environment with hazards that may require wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses, hearing protection, foot protection, and gloves to perform some operations (50%).

Work will be performed on-site at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (100%).

Use of stairs or elevators can gain access to buildings.

Equipment and Machines: Requires ability to operate a personal computer, telephone, task related software, and other general office equipment (25%).

Requires the ability to operate laboratory equipment such as noted above under preferred requirements (50%).

Attendance: Normal workday is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. Minimal overtime may be required (10%) to meet schedule milestones and to support technical demands of the job. Regular attendance is a necessity and adequate arrangements for delegating duties during absences are required.

Other Essential Functions: Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to make rational decisions, and to exercise good judgment (100%).

Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.