Materials Research Facility Sample Custodian

Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Full-time
Salary: £52,293 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
Confirmed Grade: Level 5
Department: Materials (MRF)

Company Description

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

Salary: £52,293

As an employee of UKAEA, you will benefit from:

- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
- Corporate bonus scheme of up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
- Flexible working options including family-friendly policies.
- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
- Emergency paid leave, Generous annual leave allowance (30.5 days) increased with length of service.
- Wide range of career development opportunities.
- A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

Job Description

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Materials Research Facility Sample Custodian, play a critical role in the effective and safe operation of the Materials Research Facility (MRF), being a key technical interface with customers and UKAEA Stakeholders, ensuring the appropriate management of radioactive samples across all MRF operations, in line with regulatory requirements and UKAEA procedures. The MRF is dedicated to the analysis of radioactive materials and in particular, irradiation damage in nuclear materials; activities revolve around microstructural, thermophysical and mechanical characterisation and include the development of new pieces of experimental equipment and new analytical techniques.

Additional Responsibilities:

- Lead the engagement of customers to scope and agree data requirements to enable acceptance of samples into the MRF.
- Critical appraisal of data provided by customers in support of sample acceptance to ensure compliance with UKAEA Environmental Permit limits and requirements.
- Establish and maintain accurate asset management and records relating to sample information and holding, including interface with and maintenance of relevant UKAEA data management systems.
- Lead the technical review of characterisation information for samples accepted into the MRF.
- Collaborate with other UKAEA personnel to support sample acceptance and management activities, including Radioactive Waste Advisors, Radiation Protection Advisors, Dangerous Goods Safety Advisors etc.
- Compile results for technical reports, and present at stakeholder meetings and through publication of high-quality user documents and legal compliance documents.
- Represent UKAEA at both domestic and international events, as well as at various meetings and functions as required.
- Share knowledge and ideas and provide support/training to others.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

- Recognised professional qualifications (e.g. BSc/MSc/PhD) in a relevant science-based discipline such as (but not limited to) physics, chemistry, and materials science.
- Demonstrable knowledge and operational experience of radioactive material characterisation and waste management.
- Good working knowledge and experience of characterisation techniques, preferably including interpretation of gamma spectrometry and other characterisation data.
- Experience of options assessment delivery, including Best Available Techniques (BAT).
- Previous experience of working in a laboratory environment/Materials Research group / experimental campaign.
- Ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload - deliver high-quality results to tight timescales.
- Self-motivated with an ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Experienced in structuring and writing clear technical reports.
- Good interpersonal skills and able to communicate effectively - able to readily articulate complex technical information to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Additional Information

For a full list of benefits and to apply, select the apply button to be taken through to the UKAEA careers pages.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the UK Government website for information on criminal records checks. If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.