Vacancy Notice No. 2008/023
Position and Grade: Team Leader, Radiometry (P-3)
Organizational Unit: Safeguards Analytical Laboratory
Agency's Laboratories (Seibersdorf and Headquarters)
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Duty Station: Seibersdorf, Austria
Issue Date: 25 April 2008
Application Deadline: 22 June 2008
Type/Duration of Appointment: Fixed term, 3 years (subject to a probationary period of 1 year)

Organizational Setting
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Laboratories are located in Seibersdorf, approximately 45 km south of Vienna. Their main objective is to contribute to the implementation of the IAEA's programmes in food and agriculture, human health, physical and chemical sciences, water resources, industry, environmental management (terrestrial), radiation protection and safeguards verification.

The Safeguards Analytical Laboratory (SAL), which is a Section of the IAEA's Laboratories at Seibersdorf, analyses samples taken for verification of nuclear material accountancy and for environmental sampling by safeguards inspectors in support of the Department of Safeguards pursuant to INFCIRC/153-type safeguards agreements and the additional protocol to safeguards agreements (INFCIRC/540). SAL has three units: the Chemical Analysis Unit, the Mass Spectrometry Unit and the Clean Laboratory Unit. These are supported by the QA/IT Group.

The Radiometry Team Leader is in the Clean Laboratory Unit of the Safeguards Analytical Laboratory and reports to the Unit Head. The SAL Radiometry Team is responsible for performing radiological measurements of nuclear material and environmental samples. The techniques used are high-resolution gamma spectrometry, alpha spectrometry, alpha/beta counting using a gridded ionization chamber and a liquid scintillation spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The Team performs routine measurements on a variety of inspection samples and reports results in a timely manner. Special sample types are also handled by the Team based on requests from the Department of Safeguards. New methods and procedures are constantly under development and implemented at SAL with assistance from Member State Support Programmes.

The operating environment requires high precision and a high throughput, with a routine annual sample load of several hundred nuclear material samples as well as up to 600 environmental samples.

Main purpose
The Radiometry Team Leader is responsible for ensuring the accurate, precise and timely analysis of nuclear material and environmental samples using the measurement techniques listed above.

Role
The incumbent is an operational leader, providing guidance to 3 technicians and taking responsibility for the operation and maintenance of a large variety of spectrometry systems costing in excess of €1M, and a quality manager, ensuring that work follows SAL's ISO-9001 certified QM system, and keeping written procedures up to date.

Partnerships
The Radiometry Team Leader interacts with the Head of the Clean Laboratory Unit on a weekly basis to agree on work plans, priorities and the handling of special requests or samples. The incumbent provides guidance to the staff of the Radiometry Team to check the progress of routine and special sample analyses, to set priorities and to solve any problems in the measurements. The incumbent interacts on a daily/weekly basis with other professional and general service staff in SAL to agree on work plans, scheduling of measurements and the quality of results. The incumbent interacts on a monthly/yearly basis with experts inside the IAEA and in Member States - for instance, by attending scientific conferences in the radiometry field. The incumbent must keep abreast of developments in commercial instrumentation by frequent contacts with instrument manufacturers.

Functions / Key Results Expected
Supervise the Team in terms of scheduling the routine work of the Team, setting priorities, checking the quality of results and taking remedial and preventive action as appropriate.

Ensure that all written procedures relevant to the work of the Radiometry Team are up to date and that the performance of the Team is consistent with the stated quality goals of SAL, as indicated in SAL's ISO-9001 certified quality management system.

Oversee the measurement and reporting of several hundred nuclear material samples and up to 600 environmental samples per year within a timeliness goal for screening environmental samples of 14 days, and quality goal for all radiometry measurements as specified in the standard operating procedures and monitored by quality control charts that are reviewed on a weekly basis.

Ensure maintenance of complex radiometry instrumentation in good operating condition and timely repair of breakdowns.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • In-depth knowledge of the following techniques: high-resolution gamma spectrometry, alpha spectrometry, alpha/beta counting, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry.
  • In-depth knowledge of alpha, gamma and X-ray spectral interpretation methods and statistical analysis of measurement data.
  • Familiarity with quality management systems.
  • Strong analytical skills.
  • Ability to draft technical procedures and technical reports to a publishable standard.
  • Interpersonal skills:
    • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with IAEA staff at all levels, and scientists and technical staff from Member States.
    • Demonstrated ability both to lead and facilitate work in a team environment with scientific, technical and administrative staff, and to build and maintain collaborative partnerships across organizational boundaries.
    • Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Education, Experience and Language Skills
  • University (or equivalent) degree in chemistry, physics or radiation physics.
  • At least 5 years' experience in an analytical laboratory, including measurement of actinide elements and fission/activation products in nuclear material such as uranium and plutonium, and environmental samples such as soil, water and surface swipes. At least 2 years of this experience should preferably be in an international environment.
  • Up-to-date experience with radiometric equipment and electronics.
  • Experience in scientific computer programming, e.g. Visual Basic.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.

Remuneration
The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $52 408 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $40 511*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks' annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance.

How to apply to the IAEA

* Subject to change without notice

Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged

Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.