Senior Chemist & Chemical Engineer

About Us

Working at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory we foster pride in belonging to an organization whose culture is made up of these core values: Trust, Empowerment, and Collaboration. Our company encourages diversity and inclusion in all its forms while ensuring the safety and reliability of our nation's naval nuclear reactors, and training the Sailors who operate those reactors in the U.S. Navy's submarines and aircraft carrier Fleets. Looking for a lifetime career Apply today!

Job Description

Job Description
NNL is seeking an experienced chemical engineer in our Materials Manufacturing area within the Fuel and Poison Materials (FPM) unit; this area is responsible for the research and testing of nuclear fuel materials including test design, specimen fabrication, manufacturing development and characterization. Key drivers include delivering fuel systems that enable increasing core performance objectives with improved quality and reduced cost. FPM manages several development contracts with external vendors to execute this mission. This is a dynamic and innovative environment spanning from development to laboratory and factory deployment. The required and developed skills cover a broad range of capabilities, directly impacting the program.

Job responsibilities will include:
• Working within a team of engineering, laboratory, facility, and compliance organizations to enable and conduct test programs.
• Development and fabrication of unique materials systems up to and including small scale production demonstration and factory installation, testing and deployment.
• Development and implementation of optimized process parameters up to and including small scale production demonstration and factory testing and deployment.
• Planning, designing, modeling / analyzing, manufacturing, and deploying laboratory equipment which include nuclear, chemical, mechanical, structural, and electrical components and systems.
• Documenting progress, analyzing results, and conducting presentations as needed.
• Occasional travel to domestic vendors (3 to 6 times per year)

Required Combination of Knowledge and Skill

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or science related field and 6 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or science related field and 4 years of relevant experience; or PhD degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or science related field and 1 years of relevant experience or Currently or previously Shift Supervisor Part I qualified; or EDO qualified and 2 years EOOW qualified in the Nuclear Operations Program; or 3 years SRE qualified and Water Instructor and Refueling Facility Area Refueling Engineer and Fuel and Barrier Shift Supervisor (ECF only); or SRE qualified and 6 years of experience.

Preferred Skills

BS, MS or PhD from an accredited college in Chemical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering (or similar) is preferred.
This position is targeted at engineers interested in the research, development, and deployment of equipment and facilities for the research production of novel nuclear materials, components, and systems. Experience in as many of the following areas as possible is desired:
• Materials science, control systems and chemical engineering.
• Data analytics, statistical design of experiments, machine learning.
• Demonstrated software programming skills in Lab VIEW and Python environments.
• Experience in the core material and core manufacturing technical areas.
• Core material vendor contract and production oversight.

Compensation and Benefits

• Health, Dental, Vision & Voluntary Benefits
• Disability, Life & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) Savings program & Captial Accumulation Plan
• Personal & Medical Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Flexible Work Schedules
• Tuition Assistance for Eligible Employees
• Student Debt Benefit Personal Time Off Sell Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Wellness Program
• Visit us online to view all NNL benefits!

Pay Range

$92,900.00 - $145,200.00 annually

Salary information provided is a general guide line only. Annual salary is based upon candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations

The Naval Nuclear Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC (FMP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fluor Corporation. Naval Nuclear Laboratory personnel are FMP employees who work at four DOE facilities: Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Kenneth A. Kesselring Site, and Naval Reactors Facility, and at the U.S. Department of Defense-owned Nuclear Power Training Unit-Charleston. FMP employees also have an established presence at numerous shipyards and vendor locations. For nearly 70 years, the Naval Nuclear Laboratory has developed advanced nuclear propulsion technology, provided technical support, and trained world-class nuclear operators to ensure the safe and reliable operation of our nation's submarine and aircraft carrier Fleets. The Naval Nuclear Laboratory is a national asset solely dedicated to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. We rely on the dedication and innovation of our nearly 8000 engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel.

All candidates must be U.S. citizens. Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. FMP is a government contractor and maintains a drug free workplace and workforce. All candidates must be able to pass a drug test in compliance with FMP company policy and 10 CFR 707. Marijuana is a Federal Schedule I controlled substance and illegal under Federal Law. Therefore, FMP is required to test for marijuana.

Fluor Marine Propulsion is an Equal Opportunity Employer (Veterans/Disabilities) committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other criteria protected by federal, state, or local law.