Metallurgical Manufacturing Engineer - Technical Associate Staff

Requisition Id 8316 

Overview: 

We are seeking a Technical Professional Staff Member who will focus on processing of iridium alloys, platinum alloys, refractory, and other high temperature metals primarily for the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Special Component Manufacturing and Testing Program. This position resides in the Metals and Composites Processing Group in the Materials Science and Technology Division of the Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our research team, you will be a key member of the ORNL RPS Program which has a 50-year history of materials (refractory and other high temperature metal alloys and carbon bonded carbon fiber insulators) development and fabrication of unique components for the Department of Energy, NASA, and other government agencies. RPS are used to supply instrument power for deep space or harsh environment missions. The containment materials must be compatible with the nuclear materials as well as the surrounding external materials. In addition to production activities, the RPS Program provides a wide range of capabilities that include alloy design, production, mechanical property testing, component testing and qualification. Manufacturing equipment and expertise exist for powder and melt processing along with capabilities to produce finished components by extrusion, rolling, forming, heat treating, machining, cleaning, assembly, welding, nondestructive evaluation, and dimensional inspection.

This multidisciplinary position requires: 1) an understanding of physical/process metallurgy, 2) an eagerness to learn and apply that knowledge, and 3) the ability to develop and ensure execution of materials and component processing methods. You must have skills and a mindset to critically plan, coordinate and complete materials production efforts with minimal direction/guidance. You must communicate and interact well with researchers, technicians, environmental, safety, health, quality, and craft personnel with an emphasis on quality and safety while ensuring that components are produced to design requirements using approved procedures and tooling per the established Quality Assurance Plan. Process procedure development and/or optimization are required for new or modified designs.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Lead and supervise materials processing operations and research involving powder processing, sintering, diffusion bonding, forming, heat treating (air, inert, and vacuum), machining (turning, milling, grinding, electrical discharge, and sawing), cleaning, assembly, welding (laser, electron beam, and resistance), inspecting (dimensional, ultrasonic, visual, metallographic, etc.) as well as melting (electron beam, inert-gas arc, and vacuum arc remelt), casting, extrusion, rolling, and forging
• Maintain, develop, and optimize process procedures for established, new, or modified materials/components
• Supervise or coordinate training and certification of production personnel
• Ensure materials/components are produced to design requirements (drawing, specifications, and procedures)
• Schedule, budget, and control costs for production activities
• Track training and production certification for production personnel
• Maintain/purchase equipment and consumables
• Maintain good housekeeping in processing areas/laboratories
• Perform and report statistical trend analyses of critical product attributes 
• Document production, lab, and research activities by writing reports on monthly, annual, and project summary bases and collaborate on publications and conference presentations
• Collaborate with RPS Program personnel including scientists, technical, and craft for production and research projects internally and externally to ORNL
• Maintain equipment, facilities, and systems in compliance with environment, safety, health, and quality (E, S, H, and Q) requirements
• Interact well with craft supervisors/personnel for equipment/system repairs and compliance with E, S, H, and Q requirements to ensure integrity of activities
• Communicate (verbally and written) clearly with technicians, researchers (group members, visiting scientists, post-docs, students, and interns), vendors, craft supervisors and craft personnel
• Maintain strong dedication to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics

Basic Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in Metallurgical/Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Welding Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field and a minimum of two years of experience; or a MS in the same areas with a minimum of one year of experience
• Background conducting development and/or production activities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with manufacturing processes such as powder processing, sintering, melting (electron beam, inert-gas arc, and vacuum arc remelt), heat treating, cleaning, machining, joining (laser, electron beam, resistance welding) and inspecting (dimensional, ultrasonic, visual, metallographic), characterization, testing, and analytical techniques associated with fabricating refractory and high temperature metals and alloys
• Knowledge of mechanical equipment, mechanical design, and/or instrumentation and controls
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs
• Self-starter able to efficiently and effectively balance time to accomplish multiple tasks, assignments, goals, and milestones independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)

Special Requirements:

• References may be requested. Please be prepared to provide three references if asked.
•  This position requires access to technology that is subject to export control requirements. Successful candidates must be qualified for such access without an export control license.
•  This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.