Senior Nuclear Effects Engineer

The MITRE Corporation

$126K — $190K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience with a Bachelor's in a relevant field; or 3 years with a Master's; or PhD with relevant experience.
  • Strong foundation in particle, solar, or nuclear physics.
  • Proficient in mathematical and statistical analysis.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to secure a Top-Secret clearance and U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

  • Analyze nuclear effects on various systems to inform design and testing.
  • Generate design criteria through modeling, simulations, and system-level studies.
  • Evaluate and validate components and systems against operational nuclear threat standards.
  • Review and contribute to nuclear hardness design analysis reports and test plans.
  • Conduct design evaluations to assess system survivability against nuclear events.

Benefits

  • Work on cutting-edge technology in a strategic defense context.
  • Contribute directly to national security initiatives.
  • Collaborative work environment within a highly specialized team.
  • Access to advanced technical resources and training.
  • Work in a position requiring critical thinking and problem-solving amidst unique challenges.
Full Job Description
MITRE's Nuclear Weapon Systems and C2 Platforms Department is seeking a lead senior engineer to make critical contributions in understanding the effects of natural radiation and nuclear events on relevant systems. Our department leads a dynamic work program focused on accelerating the evolution of the United States' nuclear deterrent capabilities, provides threat-informed data-driven modernization recommendations, prototypes, and analyses that accelerate the fielding of warfighter capability and allow for the cost-effective modernization of Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) and Nuclear Weapon Systems. This position will have a unique opportunity to support design and mitigation strategies to develop and field a survivable weapon system with operational requirements involving the following nuclear threat environments: Electromagnetic Pulse, Ionizing Radiation, Thermal Radiation, Air-Blast and Radiological exposure. Roles & Responsibilities:
  • Analyze nuclear effects on aircraft, spacecraft and communications systems to support development of all nuclear hardness system level design, including system level analysis and testing
  • Generating weapon system design criteria supported by design analysis, modeling & simulation, equipment and system-level trade studies, system integration, piece-part, component, equipment, and system test artifacts
  • Execute the analysis and/or evaluation/validation of components, equipment, subsystems, or weapon system analytical models and actual system implementation for weapons compliance to operationally relevant nuclear threat environments
  • Contribute to and review NH&S Design Analysis Reports (DAR) and nuclear hardness system test plans and reports documenting equipment compliance and weapon system certification
  • Conduct essential design evaluations and provide technical assessments on systems survivability by understanding system responses to nuclear events by utilizing home-developed and third-party software/physics codes on effects of radiation, electromagnetic pulses and/or electromagnetic interference
Domain Specific Responsibilities/Technical Skills
  • Working knowledge of nuclear weapons effects and resulting Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics (TREE) and Electromagnetic pulse on DoD and commercial systems.
  • Technical planning, specification requirements derivation, test and analysis, design, planning and execution, documentation, and requirements/validation supporting overall system compliance.
  • Experience with electrical circuit rad-hard design and test including piece-part screening, analysis, modeling, and test of component and systems for radiation environment compliance i.e. prompt dose rate, total ionizing dose, neutron displacement damage, neutron induced upset, single event effects.
  • Knowledge of Circumvention & Recovery techniques for component, circuit, equipment subsystems compliance and weapon system level probabilistic performance assessments during pre/trans and post nuclear weapon environment exposure.
  • Evaluate uncertainty and risks associated with rad-hard requirements and design mitigation strategies.
Basic Qualifications:
  • Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
  • Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of particle physics, solar physics, or nuclear physics
  • Strong mathematical and statistical background
  • Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills
  • Travel up to 20% of the time as needed
  • The ability to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance
  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • This position requires an on-site presence of minimum of 4 days a week.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • PhD degree Physics, Engineering, or a related field
  • Active DoD Secret or Top-Secret Clearance
  • Nuclear Command, Control & Communication weapon system survivability design experience
  • Analysis experience with radiation environments including man-made and natural space environment.
  • Experience in leading technical projects in the area of nuclear physics
  • Experience with transport problems in atmosphere or within structures
  • Experience and/or familiarity with the following standards and handbooks: DODI 3150.09, MIL-STD-1766, AFWL-TR-86-26, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-3023, MIL-STD-2169, MIL-STD-461, MIL-HDBK-814, MIL-HDBK-815, MIL-HDBK-816, MIL-HDBK-817, MIL-STD-3054
  • Experience and/or familiarity with the following engineering software/tools: ANSYS (EMC Plus, Charge Plus), CST, FEKO, MATLAB, SPIET -D, ASSIST, NORSE, FAB4DA, MCNP, CEPXS, IRENE or similar
  • The ability to be on-site 5 days a week
This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s): None This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s): Top Secret Salary compensation range and midpoint: $126,800 - $158,500 - $190,200 Annual Work Location Type: Onsite

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