Position Title: Lead Fuel Performance Engineer
Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Lead Fuel Performance Engineer opportunity.
Job Responsibilities:
- Architectural Modeling: Develop, execute, and iterate high-fidelity computational models of fuel behavior. These modeling efforts must scale systematically starting at the individual TRISO particle level, expanding to collections of TRISO within the ceramic matrix, scaling to integral fuel pellets, and finally encompassing the full hexagonal graphite prismatic fuel blocks.
- Transient Simulation: Execute rigorous thermal and mechanical behavioral simulations for steady-state and transient events, specifically including Loss-of-Forced-Cooling (LOFC) scenarios where peak fuel temperatures rapidly approach design limits.
- Experimental & Licensing Translation: Translate complex modeling outputs into actionable technical inputs for irradiation experiment planning and author the resulting fuel performance documentation required for regulatory licensing submissions.
- Verification & Validation (V&V): Drive the formal Verification and Validation of all utilized common fuel performance codes (e.g., BISON).
- Configuration Control & QA Compliance: Ensure strict code compliance to nuclear Quality Assurance (QA) standards by anchoring all codes, behavioral data, and modeling workflows exclusively within Siemens Teamcenter.
- Qualification Model & Evidence Integration: Establish the validated analytical basis that links manufacturing attributes, irradiation conditions, PIE and safety-test results, fuel failure mechanisms, and uncertainty to KRONOS operating limits and safety-analysis inputs.
Job Qualifications:
- Education: Degree in Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related highly technical discipline.
- Advanced Analytical Background: 8+ years of experience in fuel-performance, multiphysics, or mechanistic materials modeling, including technical leadership of safety-significant analyses. System-oriented mindset with the capability to operate exclusively within enterprise product lifecycle management (PLM) systems (e.g., Siemens Teamcenter) for all documentation and configuration control.
- TRISO Failure Mechanisms: Demonstrated understanding of coated-particle thermochemistry, pressure-vessel failure, irradiation-induced dimensional change, coating degradation, fission-product transport, and compact or matrix interactions.
- Experimental Data Interpretation: Hands-on proficiency executing common fuel performance codes (e.g., BISON or equivalent high-fidelity computational frameworks). Experience using irradiation histories, dosimetry, thermometry, PIE, accident-temperature testing, and fission-product release data to calibrate or validate predictive models.
- Model V&V and UQ: Proven ability to define code applicability, validation metrics, model-form uncertainty, parameter uncertainty, bias, scaling, and acceptance criteria under a controlled software-quality program.
- Safety-Limit Translation: Experience converting model results and uncertainty into defensible operating envelopes, design limits, failure-fraction estimates, source-term inputs, and licensing technical reports.
Preferred Job Qualifications:
- Direct applied experience modeling TRISO fuel particles, silicon carbide (SiC) matrices, or parallel advanced ceramic matrix composites.
- Familiarity with ASME NQA-1 quality assurance requirements specifically regarding software design and control.
- High-level thermal-mechanical modeling experience derived from parallel, extreme-environment industries (e.g., advanced aerospace, thermal shielding) transitioning into the nuclear sector.
Job Details:
- Job Type: Full-time
- Salary Range: TBD
- Location: Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite)
About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.