Experimental Chemist

Job Introduction

The UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is seeking a talented radiochemist to join its Effluents and Environmental Chemistry team within the Waste Behaviour and Characterisation business area of Waste Management and Decommissioning (WM&D). The team carries out R&D and provides operational plant support services covering the management of liquid effluents, decommissioning, and decontamination. The successful applicant will participate in leading and delivering a range of national and international experimental projects supporting these areas. The successful candidate should have a PhD in Radiochemistry or chemistry and have demonstrable interests and skills in experimental design and the analysis and reporting of experimental data. The candidate should also have an understanding of techniques used for the abatement of radionuclides at nuclear facilities, including ion exchange, chemical precipitation and sorption or a good understanding of decontamination techniques. This is an important role working closely with leading experts within NNL and will require interaction with a range of internal and external customers. The position will provide opportunities for the successful candidate to author high impact publications and to be actively involved in knowledge exchange with the nuclear industry. While the position will predominantly involve supporting carrying out and supporting experimental work, there may be opportunity for the successful candidate to be involved in other data interpretation, analysis and chemical modelling activities and internally funded Science and Technology projects.

Key day-to-day tasks in support of customer funded projects will include:
-The design, planning and performance of experiments to support active and inactive research programmes.
-The interpretation of experimental and environmental data, including the development of models, where appropriate. 
-Technical reporting and the provision of recommendations based on findings.
-Writing works instructions and method statements for experiments;
-Interacting with external stakeholders including customers, academic partners and suppliers.

Main Responsibilities

Undertake duties as directed by the Capability Manager, Technical Lead and/or Lead Technologist. 

• Interface with Customers to develop project work and maintain relationships.
• Deliver experimental research projects including supporting team members. 
• Carry out the interpretation and presentation of results including contributions to Technical Memoranda and Reports. 
• Work alongside project/programme managers and customers to ensure that work is delivered to time, cost, quality and safety requirements.
• Keep abreast of developments in their own field and apply them to projects.
• Provide support to develop the skills and abilities of others for the benefit of the company. 
• Support team to meet objectives.
   

The Ideal Candidate

Essential

• PhD in radiochemistry or Chemistry. 
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate with all levels of personnel. 
• An experienced practitioner with a minimum of 5 years industrial or academic experience with regards to working in a laboratory environment, designing experiments and interpreting results.
• Proven ability to analyse data and act upon findings.
• Proven ability to present technical information to others in the technical community, customers and academia where necessary.
• Good problem solving, analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment.
• Strong computer skills including proficiency in MS Office.

Desirable 

• Experience in chemical speciation modelling e.g. PHREEQC.
• Pre-existing technical understanding of effluent management, contamination/ decontamination and waste characterization in relation to nuclear applications is desirable, especially in relation to ion exchange and chemical precipitation, otherwise alternative technical knowledge and experience that is complimentary and hence an indicator of the ability to quickly pick this up.
• Experience of working with radionuclides in a laboratory environment.
• Full clean driver’s license and willing to travel occasionally.

About The Company

Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.

Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.

Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.

We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.