Principal Scientist

Job Introduction

Job Description for Principal Scientist:

This is where your skills play a critical role in keeping everyone safe. Working in Safety, Security & Safeguards gives you the chance to make your mark on some hugely interesting projects. NNL does work that nobody else in the sector is doing, and this means we need experts like you to make it possible, whilst keeping everyone safe. We’re committed to using nuclear science to benefit society for years to come. This means that you can build a long and successful career here whilst playing a meaningful role in delivering cleaner energy, reducing waste and keeping colleagues and the public out of harm’s way.

The purpose of the role is to provide hands on technical leadership to help further develop the Engineering Modelling capability and provide strategic direction that will help support the future civil nuclear power industry.

Role Responsibility

Main Responsibilities for Principal Scientist:

• Understands and delivers NNL’s EHSS&Q and Assurance objectives.
• Develops a new customer base to help bring in new opportunities for the team.
• Supporting the Capability Manager in shaping the future strategic plans aligned to the rapidly developing UK Nuclear landscape.
• Support project teams through providing hands on technical leadership and direction  to help successful delivery.
• Ensuring all projects comply with team’s robust Quality Assurance standards.
• Maintain and improve the skills plan for the capability and produce a strategic training plan in light of future opportunities.
• Manage their own workload and deliver high standards of technical work to time, cost and quality.
• Checking and authorising technical projects for the team.
• Mentoring and developing technical skills of younger members of the team.
• Strong academic links that can bridge the gap between research modelling tools and commercial tools.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Criteria for Principal Scientist:

• M.Sc/Ph.D in Science, Mathematics or an Engineering subject.
• Demonstrable experience in technically leading teams whilst successfully delivering multiple projects within the nuclear industry or related transferrable industry.
• Technical breadth and depth of knowledge in the field of Structural Integrity (linear and non-linear static and dynamic assessments) and Heat Transfer
• Experience with IAEA Transport Regulations.
• Expert in using commercial modelling tools such as Ansys Mechanical, Ansys APDL and LS-Dyna.
• Expert in using programming tools such as Python, MATLAB and Mathcad.
• Experience of developing and delivering strategic training plans to enhance the capability function.
• Extensive experience in application of design code requirements to verify mechanical structures subject to finite element analysis.
• Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years’ worth of UK residency).

Desirable Criteria for Principal Scientist:

• Experience with Fracture Mechanics, Life Assessment, Damage Tolerance Assessments, and Fitness for Service Assessments using R5, R6, BS7910 or API-579.
• Experience with specifying seismic design requirements and verification of seismic designs.
• Evidence of peer reviewing technical work in the area of Structural Integrity and Heat transfer.
• Evidence of external publications in high impact journals.
• Familiarity with RWM and GDF disposal criteria.

About the Company

NNL is an incredible place to work A place where people do things that have never been done before A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business, and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service, and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

National Nuclear Laboratory