Research Technologist (Decontamination Scientist)

Job Introduction

NNL are pleased to provide a vacancy for a Chemist to support the Effluents and Environmental Chemistry team in the provision of nuclear decommissioning and environmental clean up services with an emphasis on nuclear decontamination.

The job will provide the opportunity to contribute to a wide range of key decommissioning programmes as well as wider decontamination and remediation activities both in the UK and internationally. This is an important role working closely with Technical Leads to support customer projects and advance technologies through the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLS)by providing experimental data, testing and underpinning evidence for processes and techniques yet to be implemented on nuclear plants. It will require interaction with a range of internal and external customers, setting up and taking ownership of a decontamination area at the NNL Preston facility, carrying out decontamination experiments and providing project support. In addition, the researcher will have the opportunity to work on internally funded research projects. The position will provide opportunities for the successful candidate to author high impact publications, supervise PhD students and to be actively involved in knowledge exchange with the nuclear industry.

The successful candidate should have a PhD in chemistry, materials chemistry, surface science, metallurgy or a related field, or a relevant degree with typically 5 years’ experience of working within a rig hall or laboratory-based environment, and have excellent customer engagement and networking skills.

Role Responsibility

• Development of commercial work programmes and collaborative research with academia and partner organisations.
• Design and carry out decontamination experiments.
• Interpretation and presentation of experimental data including production of Technical Memoranda and Reports.
• Technical management of multi-disciplinary research programmes.
• Work alongside Technical Leads, project/programme managers and customers to ensure that work is delivered to time, cost, quality and safety requirements.
• Interface with external partners including Industrial partners and Universities
• Work closely with a range of multi-disciplinary teams to develop new technologies and processes to support nuclear decommissioning.
• Provide support to develop the skills and abilities of others for the benefit of the company.
• Support team to meet objectives

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Skills \ Qualifications 

• Post-graduate qualification (PhD) in relevant field e.g. chemistry, materials science; surface science or metallurgy; or
• Degree in chemistry/ chemical engineering/process chemistry, or allied subject, applicable to nuclear decommissioning/decontamination techniques or remediation technology e.g. first degree in chemistry with typically 5 years relevant experience.
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly between different NNL facilities
• Excellent customer engagement and networking skills.

Desirable Skills \ Qualifications 

• Familiarity with nuclear decommissioning programmes and decontamination technologies.
• Experience of establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships and projects with academia and industrial stakeholders
• Drive to develop new technologies/processes through the TRL levels for application during decommissioning operations.
• Able to take technical ownership of projects ensuring they are kept to time, budget and delivered to the required quality
• Experience of working in radioactive laboratories.
• Experience of writing project proposals and winning funding
• Experience in the management of research programmes.
• Membership of a professional Institute
• Evidence of publications in peer reviewed publications
• Experience of working in a highly regulated industry
• Full valid UK driving license

About the Company

Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.

Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.

Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.

We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials.

National Nuclear Laboratory