NUCL-ACS

ORNL is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Incident Modeling and Computational Sciences Group in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, Nuclear Security Sciences Directorate.

For more information or to apply, please visit https://jobs.ornl.gov/Exempt/job/Oak-Ridge-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate-Nuclear-Forensics-Modeling-TN-37830/1152490800/

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Develop and implement calculational methods for simulation of detector responses to nuclear weapon fallout and interpreting the nuclear forensic data.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in the use of aerial detector surveys to provide a nationwide means of predicting yield from a nuclear detonation. The research will also extend our ability to rapidly update our models based on the aerial measurement data. A sensitivity study will be performed to show the relative impact of the different types of flights that are performed by aerial systems in a graded approach (e.g., edge detection versus serpentine versus complete mapping).
• Develop and maintain the codes used for this evaluation, test their performance on different operating systems, and validate results using both numerically generated and actual measured data.

All team members deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in nuclear engineering or related field, completed within the last five (5) years.
• Experience solving a variety of real-world modeling problems.
• Research and development experience in nuclear fuel-cycle processes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with the SCALE code system and with models of various fuel-cycle processes.
• Programming experience using FORTRAN, C/C++ and/or other high-level languages.
• Programming on parallel processors using the message-passing interface (MPI).
• Knowledge of and experience with numerical analysis and applied mathematics, including optimization, statistics, and solution of inverse problems.
• Diverse experience in many application areas such as nuclear forensics, neutron and gamma ray detection, and safeguards technologies.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing.