Position Title: Principal Fuel Materials Scientist
Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Principal Fuel Materials Scientist opportunity.
Job Responsibilities:
Experimental Architecture: Design and execute rigorous experimental campaigns to address qualification data gaps in the thermomechanical properties of the CVI SiC matrix under simulated extreme conditions.
Vendor Campaign Oversight: Contribute directly to planning of fuel irradiation campaigns, make precise modifications to existing fuel specifications based on empirical data, and oversee external fuel fabrication with strategic vendors.
In-House Capability Development: Lead the strategic roadmap for bringing critical fuel fabrication steps in-house. Develop and refine operational methodologies for sol-gel processes, TRISO particle coating, binder jet 3D printing, and internal CVI capabilities. Architect the phased transition plan from small-scale laboratory fabrication to commercial-volume process scale-up.
Characterization: Develop and validate parallel fuel characterization methods to ensure internal processes meet strict regulatory standards.
Materials Qualification Basis: Define the material attributes, process parameters, characterization methods, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria that demonstrate TRISO particles and ceramic-matrix fuel lots are representative, reproducible, and suitable for irradiation and safety-test qualification credit.
Job Qualifications:
Education: Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a strictly related highly technical discipline.
TRISO & Ceramic Expertise: 5+ years of experience in nuclear-fuel, coated-particle, ceramic, or composite materials characterization and testing. Direct knowledge of kernel and coating-layer attributes, SiC or ceramic-matrix processing, defect mechanisms, microstructure, thermophysical properties, irradiation behavior, and high-temperature degradation.
Method Qualification: Demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and transfer destructive and nondestructive characterization methods, including calibration, measurement uncertainty, detection limits, repeatability, reproducibility, and reference standards.
Sampling & Lot Acceptance: Experience defining material lots, statistically defensible sampling plans, acceptance criteria, defect populations, and data-reduction methods for heterogeneous or low-defect-rate fuel products.
Nuclear QA & Traceability: Experience executing qualification work under ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B, or equivalent nuclear QA controls with specimen identity, chain of custody, data pedigree, nonconformance, and configuration management.
Specification & Scale-Up: Proven ability to translate process-structure-property relationships into controlled material and manufacturing specifications suitable for representative fuel production.
Preferred Job Qualifications:
Direct applied experience developing chemical vapor deposition/infiltration (CVD/CVI) systems, sol-gel chemistry, or advanced binder jet 3D printing processes.
Track record of successfully scaling complex materials manufacturing processes from R&D laboratory scale to commercial production.
Deep materials science expertise derived from parallel, extreme-environment industries transitioning into the nuclear sector.
Job Details:
Job Type: Full-time
Salary Range: TBD
Location: Oak Ridge, TN (Onsite)
About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.
Numbers & Facts
Location
Oak Ridge, TN
Skills
3D Printingunmatched
Aerospace and Defenseunmatched
Artificial Intelligence (AI)unmatched
Calibrationunmatched
Campaignsunmatched
Chain of Custodyunmatched
Chemical Engineeringunmatched
Chemistryunmatched
Clean Technologiesunmatched
Code of Federal Regulationsunmatched
Composite Materialsunmatched
Configuration Managementunmatched
Customer Support/Serviceunmatched
Experiment Designunmatched
Information Technology & Information Systemsunmatched
Kernel Programmingunmatched
Manufacturing Requirementsunmatched
Manufacturing/Industrial Processesunmatched
Material Scienceunmatched
Materials Testingunmatched
Medical Equipmentunmatched
Nuclear Engineeringunmatched
Operations Planningunmatched
Quality Assuranceunmatched
Regulationsunmatched
Research & Development (R&D)unmatched
Restricted Materialsunmatched
Statistical Samplingunmatched
Traceabilityunmatched
Vendor/Supplier Planningunmatched
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