Criticality Safety Assessor - Nuclear Physics

Criticality Safety Assessor - Nuclear Physics

Closing Date: 16th January 2025

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.

Due to the classified nature of the work involved, there are limited opportunities to work from home in this role. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will spend the majority of their time working on site at AWE Aldermaston.

Packages:

• Junior Criticality Safety Assessor (university graduate or relevant nuclear safety/operations experience) £31,000 - £35,000 plus role related allowance(s) (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

• Experienced Criticality Safety Assessor (PhD graduate or university graduates with some relevant experience or significant relevant nuclear safety/operations experience) £38,000 - £46,000 plus role related allowance(s) (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Let us introduce the role

Join AWE in the UK's largest Criticality Safety Group to support safe nuclear operations in defence of the nation and develop your nuclear career!

We are currently looking to expand our Criticality Safety Group and are seeking committed, talented people who want to work in the field of nuclear criticality science and safety. We welcome applications to join our dynamic team as Criticality Safety Assessors from people with diverse skillsets and backgrounds and who are at any stage of their career.

Our goal is to grow our internationally recognised, highly capable, friendly, and supportive group to meet the increasing demands of a challenging programme of work in support of the UK's nuclear deterrent.

As AWE's Criticality Safety Group, our role is 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, which form a part of our nuclear safety documentation that satisfies our Nuclear Site Licence Conditions.

The Criticality Safety Assessor role is multidisciplinary and involves the combination of a strong technical understanding of the nuclear physics of criticality with a working knowledge of writing safety assessments, as well as familiarity of, and interaction with, many other professional disciplines.

A Criticality Safety Assessor applies nuclear physics knowledge and uses nuclear data to solve complex problems; uses Monte Carlo computer codes; and undertakes Hazard Identification and fault analysis to find out how a criticality could occur.

Typical Criticality Safety Assessor Responsibilities:

• Deliver criticality safety assessments to facilities in line with the programme demand and our internal company procedures;

• Maintain and promote high personal standards in environment, safety, health, security and quality as well as professional conduct in-line with our core behaviours;

• Engage and collaborate with stakeholders from technology centres, operations, project management, engineers, and conventional safety case teams;

• Directly support work with nuclear material through criticality safety assessment support in a nuclear baseline role which is a key nuclear safety requirement.

Training and development is provided to learn the skills required to become a competent Criticality Safety Assessor. This involves a mixture of training exercises and on-the-job training as well as visits to nuclear facilities on site.

There are also many additional opportunities for staff to diversify their work including:

• Delivering criticality safety training courses to workers on site;

• Undertaking facility inspections to appraise operational performance against criticality safety good practice;

• Regular knowledge transfer activities and continuous professional development opportunities;

• Opportunities to specialise in support for specific technology centres.

Who Are We Looking For?

We will need you to have:

• Honours Degree (or equivalent) in science, mathematics, engineering or a closely related discipline or an equivalent level of work experience.

• Examples of being able to communicate technical problems, clearly and concisely, to stakeholders with technical/non-technical backgrounds.

Desirable experience/skills (development in these areas provided through training for successful candidates):

• An understanding of relevant technical topics which include: nuclear physics, physics of criticality, mathematics, statistics, chemistry and metallurgy of fissile material;

• Experience of demonstrating good engineering and scientific judgement with experience in using fundamental engineering and scientific skills;

• Knowledge of particle transport codes - Monte Carlo and deterministic methods e.g. MONK and/or MCNP;

• An understanding of the requirements placed upon fissile operations within a highly regulated industry on a nuclear licensed site;

• An understanding of the nuclear regulatory framework within the UK and/or an overview of the different regulatory methods outside the UK;

• Familiarity with assessment and analysis methodologies used in the field of criticality safety.

Some reasons we think you'll love it here:

AWE has wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.

• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).

• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.

• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.

• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.

• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).

• 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.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

Next steps:

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don't always 'tick every box'. That's why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don't meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we'd love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.

• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.

• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.

• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.