PIE Technician - Metallography

Job Introduction

Job Description for PIE Technician - Metallography:

NNL is where your understanding of reactors fuels the nation. As part of our Fuel Reactor & Reprocessing capability, you’ll play a vital role in developing the UK fuel cycle in line with advances in new technology and new processes. As old reactors reach the end of their lifespan, we need experts like you, with the technical skills to virtually model scenarios that not only enable us to explore new ways of managing the inputs and outputs of reactors, but also pave the way for the implementation of smaller, cleaner revolutionary new reactors. This is a place where you can use your knowledge and expertise to do long term meaningful work for years to come.

As part of NNL’ Fuel Reactor & Recycling capability, you’ll play a vital role in developing our understanding of nuclear fuels once they reach the end of their lifespan, and help to inform safe future reactor operations.

Based at NNL’s Active Handling Facility (AHF), the Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) Metallography Technician role works on a variety of customer projects, utilising their expert remote handling skills. The role holder will work with and manipulate material within the heavily shielded hot cells at AHF to facilitate analysis of a range of nuclear materials. Their skills will be used to produce samples of fuel and reactor components, as well as other items such as nuclear waste forms. The PIE Technician will utilise cutting, polishing and measurement techniques for component failure analysis, condition monitoring for key safety case support, as well as supporting research and development projects which span the nuclear industry. 

The successful candidate will be an integral part of the Hot Cell Characterisation team working alongside the microscopists and technical leads in a joint effort to ensure the production of high-quality data, with safety and quality being the priorities. Often involving bespoke work, the technician needs to be a practical thinker capable of developing and executing techniques which may not have been performed in a hot cell. These techniques will need to be carried out meticulously to meet the expectations of the customer. Establishing an understanding of the specialised remote equipment used for this will be expected. The candidate will need to achieve the confidence to maintain and troubleshoot the equipment to ensure reliable running. As well as being able to suggest modifications that will enable the continuous growth of the capability.

Main Responsibilities for PIE Technician - Metallography:

• The preparation of high-quality metallographic samples (both mounted and unmounted for examination).
• Assist in the development of techniques to enable new and improve existing methods of sample production.
• Establish an understanding of the remote equipment to enable maintenance and troubleshooting when required.
• Ensuring good housekeeping practices are followed at all times.
• Keeping detailed records of experimental data, both hard and electronic.
• Adhere to the Health and Safety, Quality and Security requirements as stipulated by NNL, the site license company and the project. 
• Provide support to the maintenance, modification and commissioning of team’s equipment.
• The development of technical skills, keeping up to date with latest innovation within the industry.
  

Essential Criteria for PIE Technician - Metallography:

• Experience in hands on, practical work with high levels of dexterity and detailed focus. 
• Experience of working within an industrial environment and delivering work to time, cost and quality.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Self-motivation with the ability to use initiative, when appropriate. 
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team of operations and technical staff to deploy specially designed equipment.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for upholding high technical quality standards.
• British citizen as defined in the British Nationality Act 1981 (British Nationality Act 1981 (legislation.gov.uk)).  Please note if you hold a dual nationality, of which one nationality is British, you may still be considered but this is dependent on your dual nationality.
• 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 PIE Technician - Metallography:

• Experience working with remote handling equipment.
• Experience working in a metallography lab.
• Experience working in an active facility.
• Monitored radiation worker (or ability to become so).

Why join us?

NNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

We also offer a range of employee benefits:

• Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
• NNL offers attractive pension plans. If you contribute 5%, NNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), NNL will still contribute 10%.
• Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. 
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).

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.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. 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 and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you.

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.

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory