Requisition Id 9443 

Overview: 

The National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory leads scientific and technological breakthroughs to confront some of the nation’s most difficult security challenges. We develop interdisciplinary applications needed for the security of our nation today and target our vision on how these challenges may manifest themselves in a decade or more.  The Collection Science and Engineering Group (CSE) of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Division (NND) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) specializes in the development of new techniques and technologies to collect and observe samples of interest in the environment. Our mission is to apply scientific and engineering principles to conceptualize, design, fabricate, deploy, and validate advanced collection systems. The CSE group members bring expertise in areas such as: environmental collector development and deployment, the nuclear fuel cycle, radiation detection, atmospheric transport and dispersion, as well as others to help prevent the proliferation of nuclear materials. This multidisciplinary team brings experts in their respective fields together to test and deploy systems in austere environments to enable world-class scientific experimentation and enhanced national and international security. The Collection Science and Engineering Group is seeking applicants for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to aid in execution of computational calculations associated with the nuclear fuel cycle and process engineering models.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Perform computational calculations of heat, mass, and fluid transport and/or chemical reactions in solid, liquid, and gaseous systems and multiphase systems in support of national security missions.
• Build, maintain, and execute process engineering models of laboratory and full plant scale systems to assess movement and behavior of materials under varying conditions, including steady-state operations and temporally varying conditions such as start-up, change of set points, and process upsets.
• The successful candidate will be expected to engage programmatically and technically across the division, directorate, and laboratory to help sustain and grow ORNL impact on nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security missions.
• The candidate is expected to work well both in a team environment and independently and to fully document work performed in technical reports, papers, and presentations.
• The researcher will support senior staff in the development and execution of projects that provide valued and timely deliverables supporting the National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD) and nonproliferation customers.
• The successful candidate will maintain a strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of the institution values and ethics, and bide by all environmental, safety, health and quality requirements and implement practices per ORNL’s Standards-based Management System (SBMS).

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD in Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Physics, Materials Science or a related field completed within the last 5 years.
• Experience with modeling systems undergoing heat transfer, mass transfer, and/or chemical reactions on the continuum scale.
• Experience modeling phase change behaviors in multiple materials.

Preferred Qualifications:

• General familiarity with nuclear fuel cycle
• Experience with typical Multiphysics modeling codes such as COMSOL Multiphysics, STAR-CCM+, or FLUENT.
• Experience with process modeling codes, such as ASPEN, WinGEMS, Dymola, or similar industry-specific software.
• The ability to write in standard coding languages, including FORTRAN, C++, or derived codes such as Python or Matlab, to perform scientific tasks.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• 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

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be for up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and the availability of funding.

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 jobs.ornl.gov.

Special Requirements

Q clearance with SCI: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an Secret Compartmented Information (SCI) 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.  In addition, due the SCI, you may be also be subject to random polygraph testing.  

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.