Senior Criticality Scientist

Join the UK's largest Criticality Safety Group at AWE.

We are currently looking to expand our team and seeking Senior Criticality Scientists, with diverse skillsets, to join our dynamic team. We are proud to have such a friendly and supportive group to welcome individuals and to help them build a career that is both rewarding and technically challenging.

Excellent benefits!

Senior Criticality Scientist

Salary: £42,520 - £64,000 (dependent of skills and experience) + Allowances

Location: Reading

Closing Date: 06th June 2023

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (plus every other Friday off work);
• Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time;
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training;
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services;
• A generous defined contribution Group Personal Pension (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution);
• Life Assurance;
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending;
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family;
• A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site.

The role:

Key aspects of the role will be to provide an in-house criticality safety assessment capability in support of delivering the company's strategic objectives. This involves the delivery of criticality safety assessments during the design, operation, and decommissioning phases of nuclear facilities, and in support of nuclear safety documentation as part of the Site Licence Conditions. As a senior criticality scientist, you will be expected to provide leadership within an area of our capability delivery and act as an advisor to operational facilities and new build programmes. The role provides an important function to coach and mentor junior members of the team as well as perform peer review of assessments. Opportunities for being part of an emergency response capability also exist.

What will you need to be considered?

• Honours Degree (or equivalent) in science, engineering or closely related discipline or equivalent level of experience;
• Understanding of nuclear physics, physics of criticality, chemistry, and metallurgy of fissile material;
• A practitioner who can demonstrate good engineering and scientific judgement with experience in using fundamental engineering and scientific skills;
• Knowledge of nuclear transport codes - Monte Carlo and deterministic methods e.g., MONK and MCNP;
• An understanding of both the requirements of fissile operations within a Nuclear Licensed Site and nuclear regulatory framework within the UK;
• Experience in methodologies used in criticality safety and an overview of the different regulatory methods outside the UK;
• A portfolio of experience in delivering criticality safety assessments and evidence of leadership/influence, or being ready for leadership, in the field;
• Ability to articulate and communicate clearly and concisely technical programmes, problems, and risks to internal and external stakeholders with non / technical backgrounds.

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be willing and able to work in designated areas.

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