Advisor 4

Responsibilities

The National Security Directorate (NSD) at the PNNL is currently seeking a Senior Advisor with experience as a Nuclear/Chemical/Mechanical Engineer to join its Nuclear Engineering (NE) group. The applicant should have an interest in drawing upon several years of operational and engineering support for nuclear material operations including knowledge of weapon pit disassembly and parts recovery, dissolving and purification of nuclear materials, and major project support for the planning and disposition of nuclear materials identified as excess by National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

This successful candidate coordinates with the PNNL Project Manager to monitor NNSA technical needs and enlists PNNL staff and subcontractors to support the Plutonium Disposition mission for NNSA’s Office of Material Management and Minimization (NA-23) and the local Office of Plutonium Disposition (NA-233) at the Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, South Carolina, USA. These offices are responsible for reducing the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation by managing and disposing of excess weapons-usable nuclear material from both domestic stockpiles and material returned from abroad. This support will require daily interaction with federal NNSA employees and their contractors. It will include program management and engineering support that will help NNSA to ensure a successful implementation of the chosen Pu disposition path. Work scope may include management support and oversight of the disassembly of weapon pits, oversight of the plutonium oxide production program in Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and SRS facilities, further development of the Dilute and Dispose approach for Surplus Plutonium Disposition including coordination of design activities and review of design documents, and support in the planning and execution of projects related to the disposition of weapons grade plutonium.

The position is focused on the planning and disposition of Pu identified as excess to NNSA defense program needs. The candidate will have extensive experience in nuclear/chemical/mechanical engineering and knowledge of facilities and operations that produce, handle, or disposition plutonium. The candidate will have a knowledge of the design process and the DOE orders, standards, and guides and national consensus standards that govern this process including its implementation with regard to glovebox design, ventilation, safeguards, fire protection, quality, nuclear safety, criticality safety, and conduct of operations. The candidate will possess a comprehensive understanding of existing theories, principles, and concepts in this field of plutonium disposition to provide solutions to unusually complex problems for which no precedents or past practice exists. The candidate will be capable of resolving problems that frequently require mastery of specialized techniques using high degrees of ingenuity and creativity and demonstrates well-recognized national influence and skilled consensus building. The candidate will exert positive influence across a broad spectrum of stakeholders and interest groups within NNSA, PNNL, other external organizations, the public, and the community.

Discipline, principal job duties/expectations, and qualitative and quantitative measures of performance that exceed the Functional Descriptor include:

Coordinate with the PNNL Project Manager (PM) and direct the work scope for both PNNL and subcontractor staff supporting NNSA (NA-23/NA-233) at the Savannah River Site. Identify resources both internally and externally to PNNL needed to complete work scope identified by NNSA to support their mission. Qualify (following training) as a Technical Oversite Representative (TOR) for subcontracts used to support NNSA. Assist NNSA in the planning, review, and monitoring of other PNNL projects and programs located at SRS, as requested. Act as a key technical contributor to NNSA and provide subject matter expertise related to NNSA and SRS scope. Provide unbiased review of work products from NNSA subcontractors for plutonium disposition activities.
Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

BS/BA and 11 years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA or higher and 9 years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications:

BS 20+ years of relevant experience MS 15+ years of relevant experience PhD 10+ years of relevant experience
Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment

N/A

Additional Information

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.

Requirements: 

U.S. Citizenship. Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B. Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the candidate selected is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP). 

Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy until non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months can be demonstrated.

Testing Designated Position

This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.

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