Program Manager - Nuclear Criticality Safety Function

Job Description Summary
Serve as the Program Manager - Nuclear Criticality Safety Function for NRC licensed activities under SNM-1097. Provide and direct criticality safety technical support of the Global Nuclear Fuel - America's (GNF-A) commercial BWR nuclear fuel manufacturing facility. In addition, provide and direct technical criticality safety support of the design, analysis, and licensing of advanced High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel cycle facilities involving UF6 deconversion, metallization, and metal alloy fuel fabrication pursuant to 10CFR70. Ensure criticality safety program compliance and recommend changes to the criticality safety program including design criteria, methods, analysis, procedures, and training.

Job Description

Essential Responsibilities

• Advocate professional development of nuclear criticality safety engineer professional staff.
• Perform neutronics calculations and documented nuclear criticality safety evaluations (referred locally as criticality safety analyses or CSAs).
• Assess normal and credible abnormal operating conditions.
• Determine criticality safety limits for controlled parameters.
• Specify criticality control requirements and functionality.
• Perform technical verifications of documented CSAs.
• Coordinate nuclear criticality safety engineering technical staff to meet business needs and schedules; mentor other engineers in performing technical duties in support of CSA development.
• Review and approve design changes and ensure the impacts to the CSA's and identified IROFS for criticality safety are addressed throughout existing facility (or new facility) lifecycle.
• Ensure that IROFS are designed and constructed to perform their intended safety function, and management measures are implemented to ensure they remain available and reliable.
• Recommend methods improvements and validation of Monte Carlo codes used to support criticality safety analyses in support of existing (and planned future) GNF-A fissile operations.
• Provide criticality safety support of integrated safety analyses and configuration management.
• Provide advice and counsel to area managers (AMs) on criticality safety control measures, including review and approval of operating procedures.
• Qualify as the primary Nuclear Safety Advisor (NSA) in support on the site emergency organization and participate in response planning, drills, exercises, and events.
• Assess the effectiveness of the criticality safety program through scheduled internal and external audit programs.
• Provide technical counsel to GNF-A nuclear packaging engineering and logistics pursuant to 10CFR71 and IAEA SSR6.
• Participate in cross-functional team of Operations, Engineering and Safety staff in performing the PHA for proposed nuclear fuel cycle processes and equipment.
• Participate in the ISA process as a representative of criticality safety to ensure compliance with SNM-1097 license commitments and applicable NRC regulatory requirements.
• Perform reviews of supporting safety bases documentation such as Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA), and consequence severity calculations.
• Approve proposed changes in process conditions or equipment involving fissile material.
• Work closely with the technical leaders, functional managers, project management to coordinate work planning, scheduling, and technical support of project deliverables.
• Communicate/collaborate with a cross-functional team to ensure project deliverables related to documented nuclear criticality safety analysis and licensing are completed on schedule.
• Participate in meetings with the NRC, directly interface with NRC staff during routine regulatory audits of facility, develop responses to NRC Requests for Additional Information, and support operational readiness reviews as needed

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering.
• Minimum of 10-years of experience in Nuclear Criticality Safety at an NRC licensed fuel cycle facility or DOE regulated nuclear materials facility.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience with Monte Carlo Neutron Transport methods.

Eligibility Requirements

• For Controlled Access Area: must be able to successfully pass a Nuclear Safety Training Test; follow strict radiation protection, criticality, and industrial safety regulations; wear protective clothing to enter the area.
• Must be comfortable with Relocation to Wilmington, NC
• This role is restricted to U.S. persons (i.e., U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and other protected individuals under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) due to access to U.S. export-controlled technology. GE will require proof of U.S. person status prior to employment.

Desired Characteristics

• Bachelor's or advanced degree (MS or Ph.D.) in Nuclear Engineering.
• 10-years of experience in conducting nuclear criticality safety support at a Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) licensed facility.
• Experience in applying NRC required ISA methodologies or DOE DSA methodologies and hazard assessment techniques.
• Knowledgeable of the fundamentals of risk assessment, including event tree analysis for quantitative likelihood determination.
• Knowledgeable of the fundamentals of coupled neutron, photon transport shielding calculations in support of criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) detector placement analysis.
• Regulatory affairs experience in enrichment or fuel fabrication facilities (SNM license).
• Must be Proficient in standard MS Office applications.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to effectively interface at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to develop creative solutions for complex, challenging issues.
• Ability to work effectively within a highly collaborative and cross-functional environment.
• Clear thinker, detail oriented, insightful, and a results-oriented analyst/leader.
• Proven track record of delivering commitments on specification, on budget, and on schedule.
• Ability to explain complex issues to a non-technical audience.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to interface effectively with multiple levels of the organization, external partners, and nuclear regulators.
• Demonstrated continuous improvement mindset with an ability to identify, influence, and implement better ways to do an activity or process.

This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. If applicable, final offers will be contingent on ability to obtain authorization for access to U.S. export-controlled information from the U.S. Government.

Additional Information

GE offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable).

Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes