Postdoctoral Research Associate - Fuel Cycle Chemist

at  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OVERVIEW:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Fuel Cycle Chemical Technology (FCCT) Research Group in the Integrated Fuel Cycle (IFC) Section of the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division (NEFCD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This position will focus on the application of your knowledge to the chemistry of advanced nuclear fuel cycles. In this position, you will develop processes that convert products and byproducts from used fuel reprocessing and recycling to stable and reusable forms. The work will involve wet chemistry, analytical characterization techniques, and flow sheet development. The FCCT Research Group investigates uranium process chemistry, alternative processing methodologies for used fuel recycling, waste form development, and off-gas treatment in support of advanced reactor technology, as well as industrial, research and national security applications.
FCCT is a national leader in chemical separation of actinides and other nuclear materials. The group evaluates the efficacy of fundamental research and performs the development required for scaling the fundamental science to engineering-scale application to benefit the US in the areas of reduction of nuclear waste and enabling sophisticated reactor technologies.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• A PhD in Chemistry, Chemical, Nuclear, or Environmental Engineering, Geochemistry or a related field completed within the last 5 years.
• Experience in inorganic synthesis or chemical separations.
• Evidence of experience in experimentation, data analysis, and interpretation, documented in peer-reviewed publications.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Research relevant to spent fuel processing or waste form development.
• Ability to safely handle and manipulate radioactive material while preventing contamination spread.
• Characterization, i.e., optical spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopic analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or optical emission spectroscopy, etc.
• Familiarity with glass reactors, pressurized systems, and electrical safety requirements.
• 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 constantly evolving 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 up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.
  Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You may upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

• Perform research and development on sophisticated dry head end processing methods and post-processing separations related to the nuclear fuel cycle and energy-critical element recovery.
• Perform and/or direct characterization of products of these dry head-end processing and subsequent separations, including identifying information gaps in support of flowsheet development.
• Implement experimental approaches, execute the vital physico-chemical analyses, interpretation and dissemination of experimental results.
• Participate in project planning and execution.
• Publish innovations and findings in peer-reviewed publications, technical presentations at conferences, and contribution to sponsor reports.
• Participate in project reviews, including addressing internal and external reviewers.
• Ensure compliance with Environment, Safety and Health (ES&H) and QA requirements
• As a member of the ORNL scientific community, you will be encouraged 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