Postdoctoral Appointee - CREST Reactor, Onsite

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This is an extraordinary opportunity to join our team as a postdoctoral appointee supporting the design and development of the future reactor systems for the CREST (Combined Radiation Environments for Survivability Testing) Project. Primary responsibilities for a prospective postdoctoral appointee will include supporting the CREST reactor design team through performance of risk mitigating studies, via both modeling and analysis as well as execution of laboratory testing, to include the potential for diagnostic development. In addition, the appointee will provide expertise to support the design and development of hardware and components needed to reproduce the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) and the Fuel Ringed External Cavity (FREC-II) within the future CREST Nuclear Facility.

Sandia has a long history of designing, building, and fielding experimental research reactors, including the Sandia Engineering Reactor (SER), the Annular Core Pulsed Reactor (ACPR), the Sandia Pulsed Reactor (SPR) versions -I, -II, and -III, and the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR). Over the next several years the CREST team will be engaged in the design of the ACRR-II and related capabilities which will allow Sandia to both modernize the current ACRR and expand our support for the U.S. Department of Energy's national security mission.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Independently, or in collaboration with other CREST reactor design team members and industrial business partners, design and develop new reactor components and systems for CREST, leveraging a variety of computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) tools.
• Perform analyses and/or modeling (e.g., MCNP), interpret the results, and formally document the methodology, observations, and conclusions via CREST Project processes.
• Independently, or in collaboration with other CREST Project team members conduct experiments in the laboratory.
• Provide engineering expertise on other relevant reactor or nuclear engineering activities as needed.
• Interface with the current ACRR staff to incorporate lessons learned and other design recommendations into the CREST designs.
• Collaborate with other CREST Project system engineers to ensure proper interface definition and requirements are established and maintained; especially between the reactor and accelerator systems, such that joint operational aspects of the two are fully considered.
• Potentially participate with broader collaborative efforts with other NNSA labs as needed.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required to work onsite. Relocation provided for those that qualify.

• A PhD in Nuclear Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or other closely related field, conferred within five years prior to employment.
• Experience with radiation transport codes.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoE Q clearance.

• Familiarity with reactor kinetics
• Experience with reactor operations.
• Familiarity with radiation hazards and/or radiation effects.
• Familiarity with the principles of neutron radiography.
• Familiarity with nuclear criticality safety.
• Knowledge of reactor fuel and radioactive waste lifecycles, and/or analysis of modular reactor concepts
• Demonstrated experience in identifying and resolving complex and challenging problems efficiently, with a proactive approach to issue resolution.
• Proven ability to work autonomously as well as collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, fostering consensus and effectively addressing conflicts.
• Exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, including strong written and verbal communication abilities, with a track record of producing clear, well-structured technical reports and presentations.

The CREST Project is progressing on schedule to complete the modernization of the ACRR facility by the mid-2030s. This new, state-of-the-art building, situated within Sandia National Laboratory's Technical Area V, will provide a secure, purpose-built environment for gamma and neutron radiation testing. The facility will support stockpile qualification as well as a broad spectrum of research and development activities. The CREST Project will incorporate the ACRR-II, a modernized iteration of the existing ACRR reactor, featuring entirely new hardware and control systems, while maintaining performance equivalent to that of the original reactor. In addition, the facility will include a short-pulse electron beam accelerator and enhanced test and diagnostic capabilities, positioning CREST at the forefront of combined radiation environment testing and simulation in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's national security mission.

The CREST Reactor Facility Development Department is charged with the design and development of next-generation research reactor systems that will extend and enhance the capabilities of the current ACRR. This effort encompasses the pulsed-power-driven electron/gamma-ray accelerator, a neutron radiography system, hot cells for post-irradiation examination and nuclear fuel stewardship, and the systems engineering required to integrate these advanced capabilities into a unified, cutting-edge facility. The group operates within Sandia's Radiation, Electrical, and High Energy Density (REHEDS) Research Foundation.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.