Vacancy Notice No. 2009/045
Position and Grade: Nuclear Engineer (P-4)
Organizational Unit: Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section
Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
Department of Nuclear Energy
Duty Station: Vienna, Austria
Issue Date: 24 June 2009
Application Deadline: 7 August 2009
Type/Duration of Appointment: Fixed term, 3 years (subject to a probationary period of 1 year)

Organizational Setting
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section assists interested Member States with the development of fuel cycle options that make efficient use of natural uranium and thorium resources and that are safe, environmentally friendly, economically viable, proliferation-resistant and sustainable. The Section's programmes encourage information exchange on the exploration, mining and processing of uranium and thorium, the design, manufacture and performance of nuclear fuels, the management of spent fuel, and the development of advanced and innovative nuclear fuels and fuel cycles. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section is part of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology in the Department of Nuclear Energy.

The current position is in the subprogramme on the management of spent fuel from power reactors. The objectives of the work are to promote strategies for spent fuel management and to provide technical guidance on good practices for storage and long term management of spent fuel. As interest in nuclear applications and in fuel recycle potential is increasing, the IAEA is supporting a number of initiatives like INPRO (International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles), GIF (Generation IV International Forum) and GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Partnership). In addition, there is an ongoing cooperation with the OECD/NEA (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency) and other international organizations on issues related to the nuclear fuel cycle.

Main purpose
As a member of a team led by the Section Head, the Nuclear Engineer: organizes technical meetings, international symposia, training programmes and workshops; prepares state-of-the-art reports and IAEA Nuclear Energy Series documents; and supports technical cooperation (TC) projects in the areas of spent fuel storage, transportation and reprocessing, as well as in support of work on innovative fuel cycles.

Role
The Nuclear Engineer works in the area of spent fuel storage, transportation, reprocessing/recycling, related multilateral cooperation and spent fuel data management. The Nuclear Engineer works as: (i) a programme developer and implementer, contributing specialized knowledge and experience to the planning and development of the IAEA's programme; (ii) a scientific secretary/technical expert, planning and leading technical meetings; (iii) a planner and leader of review missions; and (iv) a technical officer of related TC projects, in addition to promoting, coordinating and evaluating coordinated research projects (CRPs).

Partnerships
The Nuclear Engineer engages high level counterparts in Member State institutions to ensure effective transfer and sharing of technical know-how. He/she promotes partnership building and collaboration with the OECD/NEA, GIF, GNEP and other relevant national and international institutions and initiatives. The activities on spent fuel management also involve intra-Agency cooperation, primarily with the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security and the INPRO project.

Functions / Key Results Expected
  • Contribute specialized knowledge and experience to the planning, development and implementation of the IAEA's programme on spent fuel management, including long dry/wet interim storage and current reprocessing technology worldwide.
  • Plan and lead technical meetings, training activities and assessments in the field on spent fuel management, prepare their scope, select participants and coordinate the preparation of reports and documents.
  • Evaluate TC projects, develop action plans and organize and participate in seminars, workshops, expert missions and training courses.
  • Promote, coordinate and evaluate CRPs in Member States and conduct studies and assessments related to issues and trends with respect to the back end of the fuel cycle.
  • Develop recommendations and guidance in spent fuel management strategies and technologies for international/regional cooperation taking into account specific needs of Member States.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • Professional expertise:
    • In-depth knowledge of spent fuel management;
    • Substantial knowledge of other nuclear support programmes and the sustainability of the support provided;
    • High level of awareness of nuclear fuel cycle activities, including storage and reprocessing.
  • IT skills: Proven ability to use standard software (Microsoft Office) and the Internet.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries and to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity. Ability to promote collaboration and to resolve differences of opinions by identifying and proposing mutually acceptable/beneficial solutions.
  • Planning and organizing skills: Demonstrated ability to set clearly defined objectives; the ability to plan activities/projects well in advance, taking into account possible changing circumstances; the ability to identify and organize required resources and to monitor performance against deadlines and milestones.
  • Communication skills: Ability to write technical documents in a structured manner and to deliver effective oral presentations.

Education, Experience and Language Skills
  • PhD or masters degree (or equivalent advanced degree) in nuclear engineering, chemical/metallurgical/mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry or material sciences.
  • At least 7 years' hands-on experience with and in-depth knowledge of the back end of nuclear fuel cycle, including R&D, industrial engineering activities and/or operations.
  • Broad experience in nuclear fuel cycle activities.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of French, Russian or Spanish is an asset.

Remuneration
The Agency offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $64 521 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $41 939*, 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.