TITLE:                MCFR Safeguards & Nonproliferation Intern (SNM Quantification)

LOCATION:       Bellevue, WA, USA

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes.  TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, as a federal contractor, TerraPower has instituted an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) in an effort to proactively recruit, hire, and promote women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans.

MCFR Safeguards & Nonproliferation Intern (SNM Quantification)

We seek a graduate level intern to conduct uncertainty quantification for special nuclear material inventory calculations for MCFR reactors. This project will leverage existing neutron transport calculations and perform new calculations as needed to quantify total inventories of special nuclear materials (SNM), primarily U-235 and Pu-239, for MCFR reactors at various burnups and under various operational scenarios. The intern will quantify both total inventories and inventory uncertainties. MC&A and safeguards approaches for MCFRs will require operators to declare quantities of specific isotopes. It is likely initial declarations will be based on reactor codes, and later verified by measurement. The intern will crosswalk inventory uncertainties from reactor codes with measurement uncertainties based on the most recent set of international target values (ITVs) for measurement uncertainties in safeguarding nuclear materials, released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These calculations and analyses will assist with development of MC&A approaches to meet safeguards and nonproliferation objectives for MCFR reactors.

Responsibilities

•         Become familiar with existing MCFR neutron transport codes

•         Create standardized and repeatable process and code for calculating SNM inventories and uncertainties for MFR fuel salts

•         Consider MC&A instrumentation and techniques used for SNM inventory measurement

•         Calculate range of reasonable uncertainty "gap" that may occur in MC&A declarations between reactor codes and physical inventory measurements.

Key Qualifications and Skills

•         BS or MS in Nuclear Engineering or pursuing MS or PhD in Nuclear Engineering

•         Experience with MCNP/reactor burnup codes

•         Familiarity with Python

•         Excellent communication and writing skills

•         The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.

Job Functions

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position.  These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation.  Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations.  An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

•         Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)

•         Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds

•         Repetitive work: Prolonged

•         Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work

•         Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hrs./day

•         Travel required: 0-5%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government.  TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.  To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.  Government export authorization approval times vary.  Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval. 

Job details

Hourly rate range*

Undergrad: $21.80 - $28.55

Graduate: $38.93 - $42.04

PhD: $42.30 - $49.82

Job Type:  Intern

Benefits:

•         Competitive Compensation

•         Hourly pay rate

•         Weekly stipend for out of area Interns

•         Weekly commuter stipend for local area Interns

•         Paid Time Off (PTO)

•         Interns accrue 1 hour of PTO for every 40 hours worked

•         Holiday Schedule

•         Paid holidays commensurate with Internship period and TerraPower Holiday Schedule

•         Relocation Assistance for out of area Interns

•         **Intern pay rate will be commensurate with degree path and academic year completed at start of Internship.

Please visit www.terrapower.com to apply