Senior Radiochemist Technical Staff

Requisition Id 13658 

Overview:  

We are seeking a Senior Radiochemist technical professional for our world class radioisotope program who will focus on characterizing and managing nuclear material and detection systems. This position resides in the Radiochemical Process Development (RPD) Group in the Radioisotope Science and Technology Division (RSTD), Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate (ISED), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). As part of our team, you will be supporting the largest radioisotope production and research portfolio within the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science for Isotope R&D and Production, as well as extensive isotope production programs for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and National Nuclear Safety Administration, this position will grant you the opportunity to work with rare nuclear materials and ensure the safe and effective execution of nuclear materials processing. The highly accomplished staff within the RSTD use the unique facilities at ORNL, including the High Flux Isotope

Reactor (HFIR) and the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC), to produce a variety of important medical, scientific, and industrial radioisotopes. These include several alpha emitting radioisotopes either deployed or under clinical trial for treatment of cancer (e.g., Ac-225, Ac-227); heavy actinides Bk-249, Es-254, and Fm-257 for fundamental chemistry research and new element discovery; Cf-252 for neutron emitting applications; and Pu-238 for space exploration. The bulk of the work carried out by the RPD resides in the REDC, a category two nuclear facility with glovebox labs and heavily shielded processing hot cells. As a U.S. DOE Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. With a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people, ORNL’s decadal vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Develop, perform and lead project planning and execution.
• Perform physical manipulation of radioactive materials during chemical and material studies.
• Develop processing work plans for the separation, purification, and preparation of radioisotope products.
• Conduct research and development activities in both fundamental and applied science with the aim to increase efficiency of production or separation technologies and discover novel applications.
• Carry out hands-on radiochemical processing in a benchtop, fume hood, glovebox, or hot cell environment.
• Interact effectively with technical and operations staff to safely execute work within highly regulated facilities.
• Collect and organize data sets utilized in analysis.
• Manage laboratory spaces, including overseeing chemical inventory and equipment hazards analysis.
• Provide imaginative, thorough solutions to a wide range of complex, ambiguous, and/or difficult problems.
• Actively engage in scientific, technical, and engineering collaborations.
• Implement experimental approaches, perform complex measurements to produce high quality data sets, execute the necessary analysis, and interpret experimental results.
• Participate in project reviews, including presenting to internal and external technical review committees.
• Ensure compliance with Nuclear Material Controls and Accountability (NMC&A), Environment, Safety and Health (ES&H) and quality assurance (QA) requirements.
• Prepare reports and technical manuscripts that thoroughly and accurately describe the work completed and lessons learned to preserve knowledge.
• Mentor and train students and staff on lab practices and projects.
• Be committed to promoting a positive culture within the organization and strong teamwork.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.
• As a member of the ORNL scientific community, you will be expected to commit to ORNL's Research Code of Conduct. Our full code of conduct, and a statement by the Lab Director's office can be found here: https://www.ornl.gov/content/research-integrity.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS degree with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience or MS degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in chemistry, nuclear engineering, health physics or related scientific field.
• Experience working in a nuclear facility that performs chemical operations with radioactive material.
• Experience with the direct handling of transuranic actinides and other radioactive materials in gloveboxes and radiological fume hoods or similar environments.
• Experience with interpreting analytical results for radioisotopes.
• Experience operating general laboratory equipment.
• Excellent attention to detail will be required when working with exotic and expensive materials including meticulous handling, physical dexterity, and documentation.
• Experience in maintaining high levels of process documentation for safety, security, and/or quality.
• Experience working with nuclear materials.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background in document development.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

About the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate (ISED):

Established in 2020, the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate is strengthening Oak Ridge National Laboratory's leadership in isotope production and enrichment technology innovation. ISED is guiding the Lab's pursuit of the fundamental science and technology that broadens the application of isotopes for energy, environmental, medical, and national security purposes. These efforts are made possible through the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center, ORNL's other nuclear facilities, and an assemblage of world-leading scientists and engineers. Please visit https://www.ornl.gov/directorate/isotopes for more information about ISED.

Special Requirements:

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.

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

Relocation:

Moving can be overwhelming and expensive. UT-Battelle offers a generous relocation package to ease the transition process. Domestic and international relocation assistance is available for certain positions. If invited to interview, be sure to ask your Recruiter (Talent Acquisition Partner) for details. For more information about our benefits, working here, and living here, visit the “About” tab at https://jobs.ornl.gov.

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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.