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Aalo Atomics is pioneering factory-fabricated microreactors designed to deliver affordable, scalable, and reliable nuclear power. The company is based in Austin, TX and is rapidly growing as it works to deploy the world's first fleet of advanced microreactors.
You will perform criticality safety evaluations, develop and maintain criticality safety controls, and serve as a Criticality Safety Officer (CSO) for assigned facilities at the Aalo-X campus in Idaho Falls. Reporting to the Nuclear Safety Manager, you will ensure that all operations involving fissionable materials comply with DOE criticality safety requirements and applicable ANSI/ANS-8 series standards.
Key responsibilities include:
- Perform criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) independently in accordance with DOE-STD-3007, including scoping calculations for design, technical guidance, and formal safety basis analyses
- Check and verify criticality safety evaluations for accuracy, performing independent calculations and analyses
- Perform criticality safety reviews and assessments of existing facilities and planned activities, including facility modifications and process changes
- Review safety basis documents and facility/process modifications for criticality safety implications
- Oversee and support implementation of the Aalo Atomics Criticality Safety Program requirements, limits, and controls across assigned facilities
- Serve as the Criticality Safety Officer for assigned Criticality Control Areas, acting as the facility advocate and liaison between facility management and Criticality Safety Engineering
- Perform regular facility walkdowns and surveillances to maintain familiarity with operations and verify compliance with criticality safety controls
- Advise operating personnel and supervision on conformance to criticality safety limits and requirements
- Authorize implementation of new or modified equipment and activities within assigned Criticality Control Areas
- Participate in development and approval of facility-specific criticality safety controls
- Provide guidance to operations and facility management on identification of violations and areas of concern
- Support development and maintenance of criticality safety documentation, including program plans, procedures, and training materials
- Coordinate with nuclear safety, design engineering, and operations teams to ensure criticality safety requirements are integrated into facility design and operational procedures
- Support development of recovery plans and emergency response procedures related to criticality safety events
- Perform or support Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) evaluations for changes with potential criticality safety implications
This combined engineering and facility oversight role requires deep technical expertise in nuclear criticality safety, strong analytical skills, and the ability to communicate complex safety requirements clearly to diverse technical and operational audiences.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, Physics, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline
- 8+ years of experience in nuclear criticality safety, including independent preparation and review of criticality safety evaluations at DOE nuclear facilities
- Proficiency with Monte Carlo neutron transport codes (e.g., MCNP, SCALE, OpenMC, or Serpent) for criticality safety analysis
- Strong working knowledge of DOE criticality safety requirements, including 10 CFR 830, DOE Order 420.1 Chapter III, and DOE-STD-3007
- Thorough familiarity with the ANSI/ANS-8 series standards for nuclear criticality safety
- Experience reviewing and assessing safety basis documents for criticality safety adequacy
- Demonstrated ability to perform independent criticality safety assessments of facilities, processes, and proposed modifications
- Strong technical writing and communication skills, with ability to prepare clear and defensible criticality safety evaluations and technical reports
- Effective interpersonal skills with ability to communicate criticality safety requirements to operations, design, and management personnel
- Knowledge of nuclear criticality safety training and qualification requirements per ANSI/ANS-8.26
- Based in the United States and willing to work on-site in Idaho Falls, ID
- U.S. Citizen or U.S. Person in compliance with 10 CFR Part 810
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or a related discipline
- Experience serving as a Criticality Safety Officer with facility-specific oversight responsibilities
